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Flowerless  Plants 


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http://www.archive.org/details/flowerlessplantsOOhaleiala 


Go  Forth  Under  the  Open  Sky  and  List  to  Nature's  Teachings. 

— Bryant. 


Flowerless  Plants 

Ferns,  Mushrooms,  Mosses,  Lichens,  and 
Seaweeds 


By 
ELIZABETH    H.    HALE,   A.B. 

Head  of  Department, 
Public  Schools,  Brooklyn,  New  York 


Nature  ever  yields  reward 

To  him  who  seeks,  and  loves  her  best. 

— Cornwall. 


NEW  YORK 

GEORGE  S.  HULBERT  &  COMPANY 

1907 


Copyright,  1907,  by  George  S.  Hulbert  &  Company 


The  Trow  Press,  New  York 


mu 
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PREFACE 

The  purpose  of  this  book  is  threefold: 

1.  To  interest  children  in  flowerless  plants  and  to 
lead  them  to  a  desire  for  further  knowledge. 

2.  To  present  a  few  facts  in  such  a  way  as  to  enable 
the  reader  to  discover  for  himself  others  equally  in- 
teresting. 

3.  To  aid  many  who  have  found  it  difficult  to  ob- 
tain information  on  this  subject  without  a  tedious 
search  through  volumes  not  easily  procured. 

It  is  earnestly  to  be  hoped  that  this  book  will  in  no 
sense  displace  the  study  of  the  real  plants,  but  that 
it  may  be  rather  an  incentive  and  an  aid  to  field  work. 
More  can  be  learned  out  "under  the  open  sky"  than 
from  any  book,  and  there  is  greater  pleasure  in  knowl- 
edge thus  gained.  This  book  is  but  an  introduction 
to  nature's  flowerless  plants,  for  this  is  all  that  can  be 
presented  in  so  small  a  volume. 

An  effort  has  been  made  to  secure  illustrations  that 
will  be  helpful,  and  to  keep  the  language  within  the 
comprehension  of  the  young  readers,  whom  we  wish 
to  reach.  For  this  reason  few  technical  terms  have 
been  used,  and  these  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  readily 
understood. 

For  several  years  the  author  has  studied  nature  in 

5 


PREFACE 

the  woods  and  fields,  and  at  home  with  the  micro- 
scope. Among  the  books  consulted  which  have  been 
especially  helpful  for  ferns  are  Gray's  Manual,  Mrs. 
Dana's  How  to  Know  the  Ferns,  Clute's  Our  Ferns  in 
Their  Haunts,  and  Waters' s  Ferns.  To  the  last  we  are 
especially  indebted  for  information  about  spores  and 
the  growing  of  young  ferns. 

Marshall's  Mushroom  Book,  Gibson's  Our  Edible 
Toadstools  and  Mushrooms,  Palmer's  About  Mush- 
rooms, and  Atkinson's  Studies  of  American  Fungi  have 
been  most  helpful  in  the  work  on  those  interesting 
plants. 

For  the  study  of  mosses  and  lichens  Macmillan's 
Footnotes  from  the  Pages  of  Nature,  Grout's  books  on 
Mosses,  and  Lindsay's  British  Lichens  were  consulted. 
Hervey's  Sea  Mosses  and  Arnold's  Sea  Beach  at  Ebb 
Tide  were  of  great  assistance  in  the  study  of  seaweeds. 

Nearly  all  the  illustrations  were  from  the  author's 
own  specimens.  To  Mr.  Henry  E.  Bedford  we  are 
indebted  for  the  photographs,  and  to  Miss  Sylvia  C. 
Warren  for  her  assistance  in  the  color  work  and  in  the 
pen  and  ink  sketches. 

To  Miss  Emma  L.  Wagenseil  we  are  under  obliga- 
tions for  some  of  our  specimens  of  mosses. 

Our  thanks  are  also  due  to  Mr.  Edward  B.  Shallow, 
Associate  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  Greater  New 
York,  for  reading  the  manuscript,  for  helpful  sugges- 
tions, and  kindly  words  of  encouragement. 

6 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Nature's  Teachings 9 

Parts  of  a  Fern 13 

How  Ferns  Grow .15 

Other  Ways  to  Start  New  Ferns 19 

Ferns  in  Spring 22 

Through  the  Year  with  the  Ferns 25 

The  Marsh  Fern ■  .        .28 

The  Bracken 30 

The  Rattlesnake  Fern 33 

The  Ebony  Spleenwort 36 

The  Maidenhair  Fern 38 

The  Osmundes 40 

The  Lady  Fern 44 

The  Sensitive  Fern 46 

The  Christmas  Fern 48 

The  Spinulose  Wood  Fern 50 

The  Common  Polypody 52 

The  Rusty  Woodsia 54 

The  Evergreen  Wood  Fern 57 

Ferns  in  Stone  and  Coal 58 

Mushrooms   .....               62 

Parts  of  a  Mushroom 65 

How  Mushrooms  Grow 68 

The  Common  Meadow  Mushroom 70 

The  Fairy-Ring  Mushroom 73 

7 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The  Boleti 76 

Pink  Caps 77 

The  Amanita  Family 79 

Tree  Mushrooms 82 

puffballs 86 

The  Coral  Fungi 88 

Mosses 91 

Parts  of  the  Moss  Plant 94 

Tree  Mosses        .        .        .     . 98 

Peat  Moss 99 

Fern  Mosses 102 

Hair-Cap  Mosses 103 

Hypnum  Mosses 105 

Water  Mosses 109 

Other  Common  Mosses 113 

Lichens 119 

Reindeer  Moss 123 

Iceland  Moss 124 

Lichens  as  Dyestuffs 126 

A  Few  Common  Lichens  ........  128 

Seaweeds 132 

Ulva 135 

Fucus,  or  Rockweed 136 

Sargassum,  or  Gulfweed 138 

Edible  Seaweeds 141 

Giant  Seaweeds .       .       .  144 

Sea  Tangle 145 

Sea  Flowers 148 


8 


NATURE'S  TEACHINGS 

Longfellow  tells  us  to  go  to  the  woods  and  hills 
and  learn  lessons  from  nature.  And  Bryant,  too, 
another  of  our  poets,  says 

"Go  forth  under  the  open  sky  and  list 
To  Nature's  teachings." 

If  you  would  do  this,  you  might  learn  what  a  won- 
derful teacher  nature  is.  Perhaps  the  birds  would 
tell  you  how  they  build  their  nests  and  take  care  of  their 
little  ones.     In  the  woods  and  fields  you  would  find 

"On  many  a  green  branch  swinging, 
Little  birdie ts  singing." 

Soon  you  would  learn  to  know  each  by  its  song, 
even  when  you  could  not  see  it. 

Then  there  are  those  busy  little  creatures,  the 
insects  and  spiders !  They  would  show  you  how  many- 
things  they  have  to  do  and  how  they  do  them.  Among 
them  is 

"The  honeybee  that  wanders  all  day  long 
The  field,  the  woodland,  and  the  garden  o'er, 
To  gather  in  his  fragrant  winter  store." 

9 


NATURE'S   TEACHINGS 

Here,  too,  is  the  ant,  whose  example  all  idle  peo- 
ple are  told  to  follow.  You  may  learn  from  the  in- 
sects that  the  smallest  of  God's  creatures  have  work 
to  do. 

The  soil  and  the  rocks  can  tell  you  wonderful 
stories.  They  have  traveled  great  distances  and  have 
seen  many  strange  sights  along  the  way.  When  you 
know  them  well,  you  can  often  find  out  where  they 
have  come  from. 

You  have  already  learned  many  things  about  plants ; 
you  can  name  their  parts  and  you  have  seen  the  beauti- 
ful blossoms  fade  and  die.  You  know  that  from  them 
comes  the  seed  with  its  baby  plant  wrapped  close  to 
protect  it  from  harm. 

But  do  you  know  that  there  are  some  plants  upon 
which  no  bright,  fragrant  blossoms  are  ever  seen? 
It  is  about  these  flowerless  plants  that  we  are  going 
to  read  in  this  book.  Perhaps  you  think  that  there 
are  not  many  of  them.  If  so,  you  are  mistaken; 
there  is  really  a  greater  number  of  flowerless  plants 
than  there  is  of  flowering  ones.  Among  them  are 
ferns,  mosses,  and  seaweeds.  Others  are  the  lichens, 
ground  pine,  and  fungi,  such  as  toadstools,  or  mush- 
rooms. 

The  ferns  are  the  largest  of  them  all.  They  are 
also  the  most  like  the  flowering  plants.  Like  them 
their  leaves  are  closely  packed  away  from  the  winter's 
cold.     When  spring  comes,  the  ferns  stretch  up  into 

10 


NATURE'S  TEACHINGS 

the  light  and  send  up  green  leaves  borne  upon 
slender  stems.  It  is  because  the  ferns  are  so  much 
like  flowering  plants  that  we  are  going  to  read  about 
them  first. 

As  we  go  on  with  our  story  you  will  learn  many 
things  about  these  plants.  But  reading  is  not  see- 
ing, and  Mother  Nature's  invitation  is,  "Come  and 
see." 

You  can  learn  more  from  the  plants  themselves 
"under  the  open  sky"  than  you  can  from  books. 

Then  go  into  the  woods  and  fields  when  you  can. 
But  do  not  wait  to  do  that.  Use  your  eyes  wherever 
you  are.  In  the  country  the  ferns  are  growing  along 
the  roadside.  Mosses,  lichens,  and  toadstools,  or 
mushrooms,  are  almost  at  your  feet  as  you  walk  about. 
Even  in  the  city  streets  we  may  see  these.  You  may 
find  moss  upon  the  walks,  on  the  cellar  wall,  and  in  the 
neighboring  patches  of  short  grass.  Do  not  pass  these 
by  if  you  would  like  to  know  what  they  can  teach 
you. 

Do  you  remember  the  story  of  Fawn-footed  Nannie 
and  what  she  saw  and  heard?  Suppose  that  you  try 
to  make  your  ears  and  eyes  like  hers. 

" ' Fawn-footed  Nannie,  where  have  you  been?' 
'Chasing  the  sunbeams  into  the  glen, 
Plunging  thro'  silver  lakes  after  the  moon, 
f    Tracking  o'er  meadows  the  footsteps  of  June.' 

11 


NATURE'S  TEACHINGS 

'Fawn-footed  Nannie,  what  did  you  see?' 
'Saw  the  fays  sewing  leaves  on  a  tree; 
Saw  the  waves  counting  the  eyes  of  the  stars, 
Saw  cloudlamps  sleeping  by  sunset's  red  bars.' 

'Nannie,  dear  Nannie,  take  me  with  you,  too, 

So  I  may  listen  and  see  as  you  do.' 
'Nay!  you  must  borrow  my  ear  and  my  eye, 

Or  music  will  vanish  and  beauty  will  die.' " 


12 


FERNS 


PARTS  OF  A  FERN 


Let  us  first  try  to  find  out  something  about  the 
parts  of  a  fern.  Do  you  remember  how  many  kinds  of 
roots  you  found  when  you  studied  flowering  plants? 
The  roots  of  ferns  resemble  some  of  these.  They  are 
like  stems  growing  under  the  ground  and  sending  out 
little  rootlets,  as  you  see  in  the  picture.     This  under- 


A  Slender,  Creeping  Rootstock. 


A  Short,  Stout  Root- 
stock. 


ground  stem  is  called  a  rootstock.  Some  rootstocks 
are  short  and  stout.  They  send  up  their  leaves  in 
circles,  but  only  in  the  spring.     In  these  circles  the 

13 


FERNS 


younger  leaves  are  always  in  the  middle.  In  the  very 
center  you  will  find  circles  of  buds  which  afterward 
grow  into  leaves. 

Other  kinds  of  ferns  have  long,  slender  rootstocl" 
which  creep  along  under  the  ground  and  have  many 

branches.  The  leaves  of 
these  come  up  in  irreg- 
ular clusters,  or  else  ° 
single  leaf  grows  up  here 
and  there  along  the  root- 
stock.  New  ones  come 
up  every  little  while  dur- 
ing the  summer. 

The  buds  of  ferns  are 
different  from  those  of 
flowering  plants.  They 
are  always  coiled  or  folded 
close.  Very  rarely  do  we 
find  this  arrangement  in 
any  other  plant.  When 
a  bud  is  all  uncoiled,  the  leafy  part  is  known  as  the 
blade.  The  stem,  or  stalk,  of  the  fern  leaf  is  called 
a  stipe.  The  blade  and  stipe  together  form  the  frond, 
but  the  blade  alone  often  receives  this  name. 

The  work  of  a  plant  is  to  grow.  The  parts  needed 
for  this  work  are  a  root,  a  stem,  and  leaves.  The  fern 
has  all  of  these. 

Nature  has  given  each  part  something  to  do.     She 

14 


A  Fern  Frond. 


Fern  Buds 
Uncoiling. 


HOW  FERNS  GROW 

says  to  the  root:  " Cling  fast  to  the  earth  and  hold 
this  plant  in  its  place.  Get  all  the  food  and  drink 
that  you  can  from  the  soil  and  give  them  to  the 
^&n." 

To  the  stipe  she  says:  "Take  the  food  and  water 
from  the  rootstock  and  carry  them  to  the  leaves,  for 
they  need  these  to  help  them  grow  large  and  strong." 
Then  she  asks  the  leaves  to  take  the  nourishment  that 
is  brought  them  and  to  spread  out  their  blades,  so  that 
the  light  and  moisture  may  reach  every  part,  for  she 
wants  them  to  grow  just  as  fast  as  they  can. 

And  the  busy  little  ferns  will  help  to  make  us 
happy  by  doing  their  part  to  make  our  earth  more 
beautiful. 


HOW  FERNS  GROW 

We  have  learned  that  the  work  of  all  plants  is  to 
grow.  Flowering  plants  have  other  work  to  do.  When 
they  have  grown  large  and  strong  enough,  they  put 
forth  flowers.  Later  still,  they  are  very  busy  forming 
seeds  and  caring  for  them.  By  and  by  new  plants 
will  grow  from  these  seeds. 

Flowerless  plants  do  not  have  flowers  or  seeds,  but 
Mother  Nature  finds  another  way  for  them  to  give 
us  new  plants. 

If,  in  midsummer,  you  look  on  the  under  side  of 

15 


FERNS 


the  fronds  of  some  of  our  common  ferns  you  will  see 
many  small,  brownish  spots.  These  are  fruit  dots. 
Sometimes  each  fruit  dot  has  a  thin,  whitish  cover- 
ing. This  hides  it  until  it  is  nearly 
ripe.  The  fruit  dots  are  made  up  of 
small  bodies  called  spore  cases.  Within 
these  are  the  spores,  which  are  set  free 
when    ripe.     These     spores    take    the 


% 


Parts  of  Fern 
Leaves  with 
Fruit  Dots. 


Forms  of  Spore  Cases. 


place  of  the  seeds  which  we  find  in  flowering  plants. 
From  them  come  new  plants. 

Here  are  pictures  of  the  spore  cases  of  some  of  our 
common  ferns.  See  how  the  spores  are  scattered. 
Notice  the  stalked  spore  case.     Around  it  is  a  jointed 

16 


HOW  FERNS  GROW 


ring.  When  the  spores 
within  are  nearly  ripe  the 
ring  becomes  dry.  This 
causes  a  strain  that  bursts 
the  spore  case.  The  ring 
straightens  out  with  a 
jerk,  tearing  open  the 
spore  case  and  scattering 
the  spores  in  all  direc- 
tions.     The     wind    often 


a,  A  Spore  before  it  Begins  to  Grow ; 
b,  Opened  Spore  with  Tube  Show- 
ing Cross  Partitions  and  Root-like 
Hairs;  c,  Tube  with  End  Rattened 
into  Prothallium ;  d,  Tube  with 
Prothallium  Full  Grown. 

17 


The  Stalked  Spore  Case.   1,  Closed ; 
2,  Open;.  3,  Scattering  the  Seeds. 

carries   them  great  dis- 
tances. 

When  the  spores  are 
set  free  they  fall  to  the 
ground.  If  the  soil  is 
moist,  they  will  begin 
to  grow  in  a  few  days. 
The  brown  coat  bursts 
open.  A  long  tube,  di- 
vided into  cells  by  cross 
partitions,  springs  from 
it.  Then  hairlike  roots 
are  seen  here  and  there. 
These  fasten  the  young 
plant  to  the  soil.  Soon 
the  end  of  the  tube 
flattens   out  and   forms 


FERNS 

a  small,  green,  platelike  object.  This  is  called  the  pro- 
thal'li-um.  When  fully  grown  it  is  less  than  half  an  inch 
across.  On  the  under  side  of  this  are  two  sets  of  organs. 
One  set  does  the  work  of  the  stamens  of  the  flower.  The 
other  set  does  the  work  of  the  pistils.  By  the  union  of 
the  contents  of  these  two  sets  of  or- 
gans a  new  fern  plant  is  formed. 


Young    Fern  Plants,     a,  Prothallia  from  which  Young  Plants  Grow; 
b,  Leaves  of  the  Young  Fern  Plants. 


The  first  leaves  of  the  little  plant  are  very  small 
and  simple,  not  at  all  like  the  later  ones.  They  are  so 
nearly  alike  in  most  of  our  ferns  that  you  cannot  tell 
one  from  another  when  the  plants  are  very  small. 
The  young  fern  receives  its  food  through  the  prothal- 
lium  until  it  is  old  enough  to  take  care  of  itself.  Then 
the  prothallium  dies  away. 

Do  not  mistake  spores  for  seeds.  Both  fall  from 
the  parent  plant  when  fully  ripe.  Both  begin  to  grow 
if  they  fall  upon  a  moist  soil.  But  a  seed,  when  planted, 
sends  up  a  plant  like  the  parent ;  a  fern  plant  does  not 

18 


OTHER  WAYS  TO  START  NEW  FERNS 

come  up  from  a  spore.  The  prothallium  comes  first, 
and  from  that  the  fern  grows. 

If  you  have  sharp  eyes  you  may  be  able  to  find 
fern  prothallia  in  the  woods  or  fields.  Look  for  them 
along  the  moist  and  shaded  banks  of  a  stream  or  on 
decaying  stumps.  You  may  also  see  them  at  the 
florists',  where  they  are  found  in  the  boxes  used  for 
growing  young  ferns.  Sometimes  they  are  on  the 
outside  of  flowerpots,  where  the  spores  have  fallen 
accidentally  and  have  begun  to  grow. 

Perhaps  you  would  like  to  raise  some  ferns  from 
spores.  It  is  very  easy  and  you  would  enjoy  watching 
them.  Put  some  rich  earth  in  a  deep  flowerpot  saucer. 
Scatter  some  spores  over  the  surface  of  this  earth,  and 
keep  the  soil  moist  by  placing  the  saucer  in  a  plate 
containing  a  little  water.  Cover  the  saucer  with  a 
deep  glass  dish.  This  screens  it  from  the  sun  and  keeps 
the  earth  moist.  Look  for  the  spores  to  begin  to  grow 
in  about  a  week.  Sometimes  it  takes  longer  than  that; 
so  do  not  become  discouraged  if  they  do  not  appear 
on  time.  From  three  to  seven  years  is  required  for 
a  fern  to  become  old  enough  to  have  spores  of  its  own. 

OTHER  WAYS  TO  START  NEW  FERNS 

You  have  learned  how  ferns  begin  to  produce  spores, 
and  also  how  the  young  plants  grow  from  these  spores. 
But  the  ferns  have  other  ways  to  start  new  plants. 

19 


FERNS 


Some  of  the  rootstocks  send  out  branches  in  all  direc- 
tions. After  a  while  these  branches  send  up  their  own 
fronds.  Then  they  separate  from  the  old  rootstock 
and  form  new  fern  plants. 

One  dainty  little  fern  has  all  along  the  under  side 
of  the  stem  curious  little  bulbs  about  the  size  of  a 
grain  of  pepper.     After  a  while  these  fall  to  the  ground. 

In  a  week  or  two  new  plants 
begin  to  grow  out  of  them. 
Each  bulb  is  made  up  of  two 
or  three  little  bits  of  fleshy 
wb     llgJP'      j|B|y/      green    scales   joined    together 

at  the  base.  If  you  watch 
them  at  this  time,  you  will 
see  a  couple  of  slender  roots 
springing  from  between  the 
scales.  These  reach  down  into 
the  soil.  Then  a  tiny  frond  begins  to  uncoil  from  the 
heart  of  the  bulb.  After  it  come  larger  and  larger 
ones,  until  it  is  a  good-sized  plant.  As  these  fronds 
grow,  the  rootstocks  push  out  from  the  bulb,  growing 
larger  and  thicker  as  the  fern  gains  strength. 

There  is  a  fern,  called  the  walking  fern,  which  has 
another  way  of  forming  new  plants.  In  August  the 
fronds  are  fully  grown.  Then  the  tips  of  some  of  the 
longer  ones  bend  down  against  the  rock  or  into  the 
moss.  Soon  a  young  plant  with  two  or  three  tiny 
fronds  is  found  growing  upon  the  end  of  the  leaf. 

20 


Fern  Growing  from  a  Bulb. 


OTHER  WAYS  TO  START  NEW  FERNS 

Let  us  see  how  these  young  plants  start.  At  first  the 
end  of  the  frond  becomes  thicker.  Soon  a  tiny  frond 
begins  to  uncoil.  Others  follow,  until  a  little  rosette 
of  from  three  to  six  leaves  is  pressed  close  against  the 
moss.    The  young  plant  keeps  its  connection  with  the 


'S.  c  rv  ■»— - 

The  Walking  Fern. 


older  one  until  the  next  summer.  Then  the  large 
frond  withers  away  and  the  young  fern  starts  out  upon 
an  independent  life.  In  this  way  these  ferns  spread 
rapidly.  Notice  in  the  picture  the  lobes  at  the  base 
of  the  leaves.  Sometimes  new  plants  are  formed  on 
these  in  the  same  way.  There  are  a  few  other  ferns 
that  start  young  plants  in  this  manner. 


21 


FERNS 

FERNS  IN  SPRING 

The  soft  air  and  the  warm  sunshine  seemed  to  say: 
"Good  news!  Good  news!  Winter  is  going  away! 
Come  out  into  the  woods  and  fields."  What  do  you 
think  we  found?  The  robin  and  the  bluebird  had  come. 
Pussy  Willow  had  taken  the  scales  from  her  winter  buds, 
and  they  were  all  soft  and  furry.  On  some  of  the  shrubs 
and  trees  the  leaf  buds  were  starting  out.  The  early 
spring  plants  were  beginning  to  put  forth  their  delicate 
blossoms. 

What  is  that  down  among  the  rocks  and  fallen 
trees?  A  few  weeks  ago  there  was  a  mass  of  dead 
leaves,  mixed  with  brown  papery  or  hairlike  scales. 
Now,  something  green  is  beginning  to  grow.  The 
parts  are  all  coiled  up  like  little  watch  springs!  There 
is  only  one  kind  of  a  plant  that  comes  up  in  that  way. 
It  must  be  a  fern  and  those  are  its  uncoiling  buds. 
They  are  called  crosiers. 

The  crosiers  are  not  alike  in  all  ferns.  Some  are 
clothed  with  a  coat  of  silvery-white  wool.  These  are 
sometimes  called  fiddleheads.  When  the  weather  be- 
comes warmer,  they  will  turn  to  a  yellowish  brown  and 
the  woolly  covering  will  disappear.  Over  there  by  the 
roadside  is  another  kind  of  crosiers.  They  are  covered 
with  soft,  short  hairs  of  a  silvery  gray.  Instead  of  the  one 
coil,  there  are  three  divisions,  which  unroll  separately. 

22 


FERNS  IN  SPRING 

In  the  woods,  we  see  circular  clumps  of  uncoiling 
buds.  They  are  thickly  covered  with  silky  white  scales 
that  make  them  easily  seen  above  the  dark  soil.  Along 
the  stream  there  are  some  slender  crosiers  somewhat 


Crosiers  with  Three  Divisions 


"  Fiddleheads.' 


different  in  shape.     They  look  like  little  green  spheres 
as  they  nod  at  the  tops  of  their  long  stems. 

Here  are  three  kinds  that  show  brighter  colors  in 
their  uncoiling  fronds.     The  first  has  a  stipe  of  a  clear 

23 


FERNS 


wine  color  with  light, 
thin  scales.  The  leafy 
part  is  of  a  yellowish 
green.  Another  mass  of 
buds  has  a  tawny  pink 
hue.  A  third  kind  be- 
longs to  a  fern  having 
a  delicate  frond.  The 
crosiers  are  slender  and 
the  stems  are  covered 
with  a  bluish  bloom.  The 
uncoiling  leaves  are  of 
a  dull-red  color.  These 
ferns  give  a  touch  of 
brightness  to  the  spring 
woods. 

One   of   our   poets 

has  written  the  following  lines  about  the  fern  at  this 

season : 

"Have  ye  e'er  watched  it  budding, 

With  each  stem  and  leaf  wrapped  small, 
Coiled  up  within  each  other 
Like  a  round  and  hairy  ball? 

Have  ye  watched  that  ball  unfolding, 

Each  closely  nestling  curl, 
Its  fair  and  feathery  leaflets 

Their  spreading  forms  unfurl? 
24 


"  The  Green  and  Graceful  Fern, 
How  Beautiful  it  is." 


THROUGH  THE  YEAR  WITH  THE  FERNS 

Oh,  then  most  gracefully  they  wave 

In  the  forest,  like  a  sea, 
And  dear  as  they  are  beautiful 

Are  these  fern  leaves  to  me." 


THROUGH  THE  YEAR  WITH  THE  FERNS 

Once  uncurled,  the  ferns  spread  out  their  broad 
leaves  and  grow  and  grow.  By  the  first  of  June  their 
waving  fronds  may  be  seen  in  all  directions.  Many  of 
them  are  water-lovers.  These  grow  beside  the  running 
brook  or  in  the  midst  of  a  tangled  swamp.  We  may 
also  find  them  on  the  rocks  close  to  the  waterfall. 

"Far  upward  'neath  a  shelving  cliff, 

Where  cool  and  deep  the  shadows  fall, 
The  trembling  fern  its  graceful  fronds 
Displays  along  the  mossy  wall. 

The  wild  flowers  shun  these  craggy  heights— 
Their  haunts  are  in  the  vale  below; 

But  beauty  ever  clothes  the  rocks 

Where  Nature  bids  the  ferns  to  grow." 

During  the  months  of  July  and  August  most  of  the 
ferns  are  full  of  leaves.  On  the  under  side  of  some  of 
the  fronds  we  see  the  brown  velvety  spores.  Other 
plants  have  tall  branching  fruit  clusters.     These  are 

25 


FERNS 


the  months  to  find  some  of  our  rarest  ferns.     But 
this  is  not  always  easy.     If  you  really  wish  to  see 


*<•**£•'" 


'.&.+*. 


Where  Some  of  Our  Ferns  Grow. 


No  other  plants  know  so  well  how  to  choose  their  haunts.     If  you  wish  to 
know  the  ferns  you  must  follow  them  to  Nature's  most  sacred  retreats. 

— Mrs.  Dana. 

them  you  must  search  for  them  in  nature's  hiding 
places. 

When  you  get  there,  you  will  find  other  things,  too  : 
the  bright-colored  butterflies,  the  rocks  with  their  car- 

26 


THROUGH  THE  YEAR  WITH  THE  FERNS 

pets  of  mosses  and  lichens,  and  the  wild  fruits  and 
flowers. 

In  September  some  of  the  late  ferns  show  ripened 
spores.  Then  come  the  bright  days  of  October,  when 
the  trees  and  shrubs  are  clothed  in  orange,  red,  bronze, 
and  yellow.  Many  of  the  ferns,  too,  change  color. 
A  few  are  bleached  almost  white.  Some  wear  gowns 
of  a  jrellowish  tint,  while  others  dress  in  brown.  Near 
by  is  a  neighbor  in  orange. 

All  of  these  gradually  disappear  until  we  are  left 
with  the  evergreen  ferns  in  their  sober  dresses.  Their 
stems  become  weakened  by  the  cold  and  seem  unable 
to  hold  the  plants  erect. 

Our  coldest  winter  months  come.  But  even  then 
we  find  some  ferns  that  are  proof  against  the  ice  and 
snow.  They  nestle  close  to  the  earth  and  are  not 
harmed  by  the  sharp,  cold  winds  that  blow  about 
them.  Here  we  may  find  them  if  we  visit  the  woods 
in  winter.  No  trace  of  green  is  seen  among  the  others. 
They  look  as  if  they  were  dead.  But  listen  to  what 
they  have  to  say: 

"You  think  I  am  dead, 
The  dainty  fern  said, 
Because  I  am  coiled  so  small! 
I  never  have  died, 
But  safe  I  hide 
In  a  soft  and  fuzzy  ball. 
27 


FERNS 

Here  I  can  rest  through  the  long  winter  time; 

When  the  robins  call, 

I  shall  hear  them  all, 
And  up  I'll  begin  to  climb." 

This  voice  comes  from  yonder  mass  of  dead  leaves. 
Now  we  remember  that  it  was  from  such  a  place  as 
this  that  the  crosiers  grew  up  in  the  spring.  So  we 
know  that  these  fern  children  sleep  in  warm  beds. 
Instead  of  soft  wool  blankets  like  ours,  a  close  cover- 
ing of  brown  leaves  is  provided.  Under  these  they 
are  snug  and  warm  during  the  cold  winter. 

THE  MARSH  FERN 

Do  not  think  that  because  this  plant  is  called  the 
marsh  fern  it  always  grows  in  swamps.  While  that  is 
its  favorite  dwelling  place,  it  is  also  found  in  wet 
woods  and  by  roadside  ditches,  where 

"O'er  the  turbid  water's  breast 
The  plumes  are  waving  green." 

It  is  occasionally  seen  in  dry  pastures.  The  fronds 
that  are  shown  in  the  picture  were  found  in  a  cattle 
pasture  through  which  ran  a  small  brook.  The  cattle, 
by  their  trampling,  had  made  a  soft,  watery  mud  along 
the  banks  of  this  stream.  Here  the  ferns  had  found  a 
spot  that  suited  them. 

28 


THE   MARSH   FERN 


You  see  that  they  have  rather  stiff-looking  fronds. 
These  are  of  a  pale,  dull  green.  The  stipes  are  usually 
very  long  for  the  size  of  the  frond. 

Early  in  the  spring,  before  other  marsh  plants 
come  up,  the  slender  crosiers  of  this  fern  appear.  They 
look  like  little  green 
balls  nodding  to  each 
other,  from  the  tops  of 
their  tall  stipes.  The 
rootstocks  are  long  and 
slender.  The  leaves 
come  up  during  the 
whole  summer.  None 
of  the  early  fronds  bear 
spores. 

About  the  middle  of 
July  the  spore-bearing, 
or  fertile,  fronds  ap- 
pear. The  fruit  dots 
are  in  a  double  row  on 
each  leaflet.  They  are 
well  grown  before  the  frond  uncurls.  The  edges  of 
the  leaves  are  turned  over  to  the  under  side,  so  as  to 
cover  the  fruit  dots  when  they  are  young.  Perhaps 
you  can  see  this  in  the  frond  at  the  left,  which  has 
its  under  side  toward  you. 

As  the  spores  ripen,  the  spore  cases  spread  out  and 
often  cover  all  the  under  side  of  the  leaf.     One  writer 

29 


The  Marsh  Fern. 


FERNS 

says  that  these  leaflets  with  their  edges  turned  over 
are  thought  to  look  very  much  like  tiny,  half-open 
snuff-boxes.  For  this  reason  the  plant  has  been 
called  the  snuff-box  fern.  The  fruited  fronds  are 
heavier  than  the  early  sterile  ones.  The  spores  ripen 
in  September. 

In  deep  woods  the  marsh  fern  grows  tall  and  slen- 
der, but  has  little  fruit.  In  the  sun  it  has  much  fruit, 
but  the  fronds  become  thick  and  yellowish  and  are 
often  twisted.  Sometimes  the  ends  of  the  fronds  turn 
half-way  around,  while  the  tips  of  the  leaflets  bend 
toward  each  other. 

After  the  first  sharp  frost  the  fronds  that  are  in 
exposed  places  generally  wither.  In  sheltered  situ- 
ations they  may  keep  green  for  a  month  or  more  longer. 
Never  shall  we  find  them  defying  frost  and  showing 
their  green  plumes  amid  the  ice  and  snow  of  winter. 

THE  BRACKEN 

One  of  the  commonest  of  American  ferns  is  the 
bracken.  It  often  grows  to  be  several  feet  in  height. 
Its  smooth,  black  rootstock  is  deep  in  the  earth  and 
has  many  branches.  The  crosiers  are  covered  with 
silvery-gray  down.  They  come  up  singly  at  intervals 
of  from  six  inches  to  six  feet.  The  three  divisions, 
unrolling  separately,  look  somewhat  like  the  claws 
of  a  large  bird. 

30 


THE   BRACKEN 


The  picture  shows  you  a  branch  of  a  full-grown 
frond.  It  is  coarse  and  spreading.  The  color  is  a 
dark,  dull  green.  All  fronds  are  about  the  same  shape. 
The  edges  of  the  spore-bearing  ones  are  bent  over  to 
form  a  covering  for  the  spore  cases.  When  young 
this  covering  makes  a  silvery-white  edging  on  the 
under  side  of  the  frond.  As  the 
spores  ripen,  they  push  it  back 
and  peep  out.  Then  they  turn  to 
a  deep,  rich  brown  and  make  the 
frond  look  as  if  it  were  em- 
broidered. 

Other  names  for  this  plant  are 
brake,  umbrella  fern,  upland,  and 
eagle  fern.  The  last  name  was 
probably  given  because  of  some- 
thing eaglelike  about  the  plant. 
Perhaps  it  was  the  clawlike  crosiers, 
or  it  may  have  been  that  the  broad  fronds  looked 
like  an  eagle's  wings. 

There  are  many  superstitions  about  the  bracken. 
At  one  time  it  was  thought  to  protect  one  from 
goblins  and  witches.  In  the  seventeenth  century  it 
was  the  custom  to  burn  the  bracken  when  rain  was 
needed. 

The  bracken  is  the  fern  that  was  supposed  to  bear 
the   "mystic  fern  seed."     According  to  the  legend, 
fern  seed  could  be  obtained  from  this  plant  on  mid- 
31 


Crosiers  of  the 
Bracken. 


FERNS 


The  Bracken. 


summer  eve  only. 
At  dusk  the  fern 
was  supposed  to 
put  forth  a  tiny 
blue  flower.  This 
soon  gave  place  to 
a  small,  shining 
seed  that  ripened 
at  midnight.  If  it 
fell  from  the  stem 
of  its  own  accord 
and  was  caught 
in  a  white  napkin, 
it  was  thought  to 
give  its  possessor 
the  power  to  be- 
come invisible. 


"It  boasteth  a  name  of  mystic  fame, 

For  who  findeth  its  magic  seed 
A  witching  and  weirdly  gift  may  claim, 

To  help  him  in  his  need ; 
Unseen,  unknown,  ,he  may  pass  alone 

"Who  knoweth  the  fern  seed's  spell; 
Like  the  viewless  blast,  he  sweepeth  past, 

And  walks  invisible." 

The  bracken  is  one  of  the  useful  ferns.     Fruit,  fish, 
and  vegetables  are  sometimes  packed  in  it  to  keep 

32 


THE  RATTLESNAKE   FERN 

them  from  mildew  and  decay.  The  young  crosiers 
may  be  cooked  and  eaten  like  asparagus.  These  are 
often  sold  in  the  Japanese  market.  In  some  places 
in  Europe  the  roots  have  been  ground  and  mixed  with 
flour  in  making  bread. 

Houses  have  been  thatched  with  the  large  bracken 
fronds.  In  some  parts  of  the  world  they  are  used  as 
a  bedding  for  cattle.  The  fresh  plants  are  sometimes 
of  service  in  tanning  light  leathers,  as  they  contain 
much  tannic  and  other  acids.  In  Scotland  they  used 
to  be  burned  when  green.  Then  the  ashes  were  made 
into  balls  to  be  used  instead  of  soap. 

The  bracken  is  very  hard  to  transplant  and  start 
in  a  new  place;  but  when  once  started  it  is  just  as 
difficult  to  root  it  out. 


THE   RATTLESNAKE   FERN 

One  of  the  ferns  that  grows  in  the  woods  is  the 
rattlesnake  fern.  It  does  not  like  the  sunshine.  It 
seems  to  delight  in  dim,  moist  hollows,  but  soon  dis- 
appears from  a  place  when  the  trees  are  removed. 

Early  in  May  you  will  find  the  hairy  leaf  buds 
just  unfolding.     Let  us  see  how  this  fern  grows. 

A  tangle  of  thick,  fleshy  roots  extends  horizontally 
a  few  inches  under  ground.  From  this  comes  a  single 
frond.     If  you  look  at  the  picture,  you  will  see  that 

33 


The  Rattlesnake  Fern. 

34 


THE   RATTLESNAKE  FERN 


this  is  divided  into  two  parts,  one  of  which  bears  the 
spores.  The  green  blade  spreads  out  in  a  broad,  flat 
triangle.  It  is  much  cut  and  divided  and  quite  thin. 
If  you  can  get  some  of  these  fronds  and  press  them 
you  will  find  that  they  have  a  very  delicate  appear- 
ance, and  show  beautiful  shades  of 
color. 

The  spore-bearing  part  of  the 
frond  rises  several  inches  above 
the  green  blade.  As  the  spores 
ripen  the  spaces  between  the  parts 
lengthen.  There  is  finally  a  long, 
slender  cluster  with  the  parts  (called 
branchlets)  nearly  parallel  to  the 
stalk. 

The  bright-yellow  spores  ripen 
in  June.  They  escape  from  the 
spore  cases  through  a  narrow  slit 
across  it. 

In  a  hollow  at  the  base  of  the  stipe  is  a  bud  for 
next  year's  leaf.  Within  its  tiny  stem  may  be  found 
a  still  smaller  bud,  and  this  in  turn  incloses  an- 
other. So  we  may  say  that  this  plant  has  its  cloth- 
ing prepared  three  years  ahead.  The  spore  cases 
also  begin  to  grow  a  year  or  more  before  the  spores 
are  shed. 

There  is  a  great  difference  in  the  size  of  these  fern 
plants.     Some  that  are  not  more  than  three  or  four 

35 


Spore  Cases  of    the 
Rattlesnake  Fern. 


FERNS 

inches  high  bear  fruit  clusters.     There  are  others  that 
are  five  or  six  times  as  large. 

The  name  of  rattlesnake  fern  was  probably  given 
to  this  plant  because  of  a  likeness  which  was  thought 
to  exist  between  the  spikes  of  fruit  and  the  rattle  of 
the  snake.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  grape  fern,  be- 
cause its  clusters  of  spore  cases  look  like  bunches  of 
grapes. 

THE  EBONY  SPLEENWORT 

The  fern  whose  picture  you  see  on  the  opposite 
page  belongs  to  a  large  family  called  "spleenwort." 
A  great  many  members  of  this  family  live  in  the  United 
States.  We  shall  read  about  one  only,  the  ebony 
spleenwort.  The  home  of  this  fern  may  be  the  woods, 
the  fields,  or  the  roadside;  but  in  a  stony  soil,  for  it  is 
a  true  rock  lover. 

Notice  in  the  picture  how  it  grows.  The  rootstock 
is  small  and  the  leaves  grow  in  tufts.  See  how  differ- 
ent the  fronds  are.  The  short  ones  that  spread  out 
close  to  the  ground  have  no  spores.  Their  leaflets  are 
close  together.  The  fronds  that  bear  the  spores  are 
much  longer  and  their  leaflets  are  farther  apart.  They 
generally  spring  up  from  the  center  and  stand  erect. 
This  helps  them  to  scatter  their  spores  to  a  greater 
distance. 

You  can  see  spores  on  two  of  the  fronds.     They  al- 

36 


THE   EBONY  SPLEENWORT 

ways  grow  in  double  rows  on  each  leaflet,  some  distance 
from  the  edge.  When  young  they  have  a  white  covering, 
which  soon  withers 
away.  Then  the  spore 
cases  spread  out  and 
cover  most  of  the  un- 
der side  of  the  frond. 

The  ebony  spleen- 
wort  takes  its  name 
from  its  dark,  shin- 
ing stem.  It  is  some- 
times called  the 
screw  fern.  This  is 
because  the  spore- 
bearing  leaflets  grow 
upon  the  stem  in  such 
a  way  that  they  look 
like  the  threads  on  a 
screw.  You  cannot 
see  this  very  well  in 
the  picture.  It  may 
be  easily  noticed  in  a 
growing  plant. 

This  fern  is  found  in  the  United  States  as  far  west- 
ward as  Colorado.  The  plant  from  which  the  picture 
was  made  came  from  the  fields  of  Long  Island. 


The  Ebony  Spleen  wort. 


37 


FERNS 

THE  MAIDENHAIR  FERN 

A  fern  that  is  often  seen  at  the  florist's  is  the 
maidenhair.  But  you  will  not  find  such  large  plants 
in  the  greenhouse  as  are  found  "  under  the  open 
sky."  Even  out  of  doors  there  is  a  great  difference 
in  the  size  of  the  plants.  The  larger  ones  grow  in 
moist,  shaded  dells.  They  love  "a  quiet  glen  shut 
in  from  all  intrusion  by  the  trees."  On  dry  slopes 
the  plants  are  smaller.  In  the  sunlight  they  are  quite 
small. 

If  you  have  once  seen  a  maidenhair  fern  you  will 
be  apt  to  know  it  again.  It  is  not  shaped  like  any  of 
the  other  ferns  that  we  have  been  reading  about. 
Neither  does  it  grow  like  them.  The  outline  of  the 
whole  frond  is  circular.  The  stem  is  very  slender  and 
is  hidden  as  you  look  down  upon  the  plant.  This 
makes  the  fern  look  as  if  it  were  top-heavy.  But  if  a 
ground  breeze  comes  along  while  you  are  looking  at  it, 
you  almost  forget  that  you  thought  so.  The  mass  of 
green  is  all  atremble.  The  shining,  dark  stipe  is  no 
longer  hidden,  but  glistens  as  the  soft  green  top  waves 
to  and  fro. 

The  rootstock  is  near  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
It  is  slender  and  creeps  about  for  a  long  distance,  giv- 
ing off  many  black,  wiry  roots.  Before  the  leaves 
push  up  out  of  the  ground,   they  are  protected  by 

38 


Maidenhair  Fern. 


THE   MAIDENHAIR  FERN 

brown,  hairlike  scales.  When  the  young  crosiers  be- 
gin to  uncoil  they  wear  all  shades  of  pale  green  and 
red.  The  stems  vary  from  red  and  purplish  to  brown. 
Nearly  every  frond  has  spores.  You  can  see  the  fruit 
dots  along  the  outer  margin  of  some  of  the  fronds. 


Frond  of  the  Maidenhair      Young  Maidenhair  Show-    Venues  Hair. 
Fern.  ing  Bends  in  Stem. 

In  the  picture  they  are  covered  by  the  rolled-over 
edges  of  the  leaflets. 

On  account  of  the  smoothness  of  the  fronds,  rain 
and  dew  roll  off  this  plant  without  wetting  it.  For 
this  reason  men  who  study  about  plants  have  given 
this  fern  the  name  of  Ad-i-an'tum,  which  means  "  with- 
out wet."  The  name  of  maidenhair  is  said  by  some 
to  have  been  given  on  account  of  the  slender  black 
stems.     Others  think  that  this  name  was  used  be- 

39 


FERNS 

cause  the  fine,  black,  wiry  roots  resemble  the  hair  of 
a  maiden. 

This  fern  is  sometimes  used  for  medicine.  It  is 
said  to  be  good  for  throat  and  lung  diseases. 

There  is  a  fern  in  Europe  and  in  the  southern  part 
of  our  own  country  that  looks  somewhat  like  the 
maidenhair.  It  is  called  the  Venus' s  hair  fern.  If  you 
look  at  the  little  sprays  of  these  two  plants  you  will 
see  the  difference  in  the  shape  of  the  leaflets.  The 
Venus' s  hair  branches  alternately  along  the  stem  in- 
stead of  forming  a  circle  of  branches  at  the  top  of  the 
stipe  as  the  maidenhair  does. 


THE  OSMUNDAS 

The  Os-mun'-das  are  ferns  that  everybody  ought 
to  know,  because  they  are  so  common  and  so  showy. 
From  the  time  their  crosiers  peep  out  of  the  ground 
in  the  spring  until  their  leaflets  fall  in  the  autumn, 
they  are  a  familiar  sight.  Their  roots  are  the  largest, 
their  crosiers  the  wooliest,  their  fronds  the  tallest,  and 
their  fruit  the  earliest  of  any  of  the  ferns. 

The  three  best  known  members  of  the  Osmunda 
family  are  the  cinnamon  fern,  the  interrupted  fern, 
and  the  flowering  fern. 

Early  in  the  spring,  before  the  grass  has  turned 
green,  the  young  crosiers  or  "fiddleheads"  of  the  cin- 

40 


THE   OSMUNDAS 


namon  fern  begin  to  appear  in  wet  ground.  The 
spore-bearing  fronds  are  seen  first,  but  before  they  are 
full  grown  the  other  fronds  spring  up  and  grow  so 
fast  that  they  are  soon  taller  than  the  earlier  ones. 
These  two  sets  of  fronds  grow  in  separate  circles. 
The  fruit  -  bearing 
ones  form  the  outer 
circle,  but  during 
their  growth  the 
others  bend  out- 
ward, so  that  when 
full  grown  those 
with  spores  appear 
to  be  growing  in 
the  inner  circle. 

The  fruiting 
fronds  are  stiff  and 
clublike,  as  seen  in 
the  picture.  At 
first  they  are  bright 

green.  In  the  latter  part  of  May  they  begin  to  turn 
to  the  cinnamon  brown  which  gives  this  fern  its  name. 
The  spores  are  now  ripe  and  a  touch  sets  them  free. 
The  fronds  then  wither  and  die.  The  other  leaves  re- 
main green  during  the  summer. 

The  thrush  and  the  brown  thrasher  like  to  build 
their  nests  in  the  center  of  these  great  ferns. 

Though  an  early  riser  in  the  spring,  the  cinnamon 

41 


The  Cinnamon  Fern. 


FERNS 


fern  cannot  get  ahead  of  the  interrupted  fern.  This 
is  the  first  of  the  Osmundas  to  appear.  It  starts  as 
soon  as  Mother  Nature  calls  and  never  waits  to  take 

another  nap.  At  first  it  looks 
so  much  like  the  cinnamon  fern 
that  it  is  not  easy  to  tell  them 
apart. 

The  interrupted  fern  does 
not  care  so  much  for  moisture, 
but  it  likes  the  roadside  and 
pasture.  Both  kinds  of  fronds 
begin  to  grow  at  about  the  same 
time.  The  stipes  are  slenderer 
than  those  of  the  cinnamon  fern. 
They  are  also  less  downy.  When 
the  buds  uncoil,  the  small  fronds 
are  wholly  green,  but  in  the 
taller  ones  this  color  is  inter- 
rupted by  a  few  pairs  of  leaflets 
that  bear  spores.  At  first  the 
spores  are  dark  green,  almost 
black,  and  look  very  pretty  in 
the  midst  of  the  yellow-green 
of  the  rest  of  the  frond.  Later 
It  is  the  way  in  which  the  spores 
grow  that  gives  this  plant  the  name  of  interrupted 
fern. 

The  third  member  of  the  Osmunda  family,   the 

42 


The  Interrupted  Fern. 

they  turn  brown. 


THE   OSMUNDAS 


flowering  fern,  loves  the  water.  The  uncoiling  fronds 
have  dark-red  stipes  and  reddish-green  or  pinkish 
blades.  As  these  uncurl, 
the  bright  green  spore 
cases  may  be  seen  peep- 
ing through  the  leaflets, 
which  clasp  them  closely. 

Notice  in  the  picture 
how  different  the  leaves 
are  from  those  of  other 
ferns.  They  grow  very 
tall,  often  reaching  a 
height  of  six  feet.  All 
the  fronds  are  alike  ex- 
cept that  spores  are 
borne  on  the  upper  part 
of  some  of  them.  This 
fruiting  part  *at  the  end 
of  the  frond  looks  some- 
what like  a  bunch  of 
small  flowers.  Like  the 
other  Osmundas,  the 
spores  are  a  bright  green 
until  they  ripen. 

In  all  the  Osmundas 
the     buds     for     several 

years  to  come  are  found  nestling  in  the  midst  of  the 
circle  of  fronds.     This  central  part  is  called  the  heart 

43 


The  Flowering  Fern. 


FERNS 

of  Osmund.     It  is  crisp  and  tender  and  is  good  to  eat. 
It  tastes  somewhat  like  raw  cabbage. 

While  all  members  of  the  Osmunda  family  are  so 
common  in  America,  only  one,  the  flowering  fern,  is 
found  in  Europe.  It  is  one  of  the  handsomest  of  Brit- 
ish ferns.  One  of  the  English  authors  speaks  of  this 
plant  as  the  "  flower-crowned  prince  of  British  ferns." 


THE  LADY  FERN 


The  picture  shows  you  a  fern  found  in  all  parts  of 
our  country.     Sometimes  it  is  seen  growing  among  a 

tangle  of  wild  things  in 
the  pasture,  sometimes 
by  the  roadside,  and 
again  in  the  low  moist 
woodland. 

The  fronds  spring  up 
in  circles  from  a  large 
rootstock,  often  reaching 
a  height  of  three  feet  or 
more.  Notice  how  deli- 
cate and  lacelike  they 
look. 

If  you  visit  the  haunts 
of  the  lady  fern  in  May, 
The  Lady  Fern.  you  will  find  the  earliest 

44 


THE   LADY  FERN 

fronds  just  awaking  from  their  winter's  sleep.  The 
stipes  have  a  reddish  color  and  light,  thin  scales. 
These  contrast  prettily  with  the  yellow  green  of  the 
uncoiling  blades. 

Go  again  in  June  where 

"The  Lady  Fern  flourishes  graceful  and  tall," 

and  you  find  beautiful  fronds  of  delicate  green.  In 
late  summer  you  see  these  fronds  in  tints  of  brown 
and  gold.  Some  of  them  have  become  blotched  and 
broken,  but  others  are  still  beautiful. 

"But  not  by  burn  in  wood  or  vale 
Grows  anything  so  fair 
As  the  Lady  Fern  when  the  sunbeams  turn 
To  gold  her  delicate  hair." 

The  spores  of  the  lady  fern  are  good  ones  to  plant 
because  they  grow  so  easily.  Pick  fronds  that  are 
heavy  with  fruit  dots.  Dry  them  in  a  paper  bag  for  a 
day  or  two,  until  the  spores  are  set  free.  Then  plant 
them  as  you  learned  in  an  earlier  chapter.  The  pro- 
thallia  and  young  plants  of  different  sizes  are  easily 
found  on  moist  earth  where  this  fern  grows. 

An  English  author  calls  it  the  Queen  of  Ferns, 
but  we  have  many  that  retain  their  beauty  longer 
than  this  one. 


45 


FERNS 


THE  SENSITIVE  FERN 

August  is  a  good  time  to  wander  through  the  fields 
in  search  of  ferns.  Along  the  banks  of  the  streams 
one  may  find  large,  coarse-looking  plants  that  grow 
in  dense  clumps.  These  are  sensitive  ferns.  Go 
nearer  and  examine  them  carefully.  Hidden  away  at 
the  bottom  of  the  mass  of  fronds  are  some  tiny  coiled 
crosiers  for  next  year's  leaves.  Here  and  there  are 
stems  that  look  exactly  like  the  lower  part  of  the 
stipe,  but  they  end  in  a  point.  They  have  no  leaves 
and  are  never  more  than  two  or  three  inches  long. 

The  rootstock  is  about  as  large  as  a  pencil  and 
creeps  along  under  the  ground,  sending  out  many 
branches.  The  fronds  come  up  from  these  at  differ- 
ent times  during  the  summer.  See  how  broad  these 
coarse  leaves  are.  They  are  triangular  in  shape,  and 
the  edges  are  very  deeply  cut. 

Does  it  not  seem  strange  that  the  name  "  sensi- 
tive' '  should  be  given  to  a  plant  with  such  large, 
coarse  fronds?  It  was  probably  called  by  that  name 
because  the  early  frosts  so  quickly  kill  it.  Or  it  may 
have  been  because  it  withers  so  soon  after  being  cut. 

Look  now  at  the  clusters  of  spore  cases.  These 
are  fronds  of  another  kind.  They  are  shorter  than 
the  others.  If  you  examine  them  carefully  you  will 
see  that  they  are  made  up  of  leaflets  just  as  the  large 

46 


The  Sensitive  Fern. 


THE   SENSITIVE   FERN 

green  fronds  are.  These  leaflets  look  like  little  green 
berries  strung  along  the  stems.  They  are  so  closely 
rolled  that  one  author  in  speaking  of  them  says  that 
most  ferns  hold  their  spore  cases  in  the  open  hand, 
but  the  sensitive  fern  grasps  them  tightly  in  the 
clenched  fist.  When  the  little  pods  are  ripe  they  burst 
open  and  the  spores  escape.  But  the  fronds  remain 
erect  until  the  next  summer. 

If  we  had  walked  along  the  banks  of  this  stream  in 
the  spring  we  should  have  seen  our  ferns  in  a  very 
different  dress.  A  mass  of  tawny  pink  crosiers  would 
have  nodded  to  us  as  much  as  to  say,  "How  do  you 
like  our  looks  ?  "  If  you  had  then  picked  some  and 
examined  them,  you  would  have  wanted  to  reply,  "I 
like  your  looks  very  much,"  for  you  would  have  found 
much  beauty  in  the  uncoiling  pink  blades. 

The  sensitive  fern  loves  the  sunshine.  While  it 
will  grow  in  the  woods  it  very  rarely  bears  spores 
there.  The  plants  that  we  have  found  in  the  shade 
have  had  small  fronds.  They  looked  quite  different 
from  the  large,  coarse  plants  growing  in  the  sun. 

Some  very  old  books  speak  of  this  fern  as  drag- 
on's bridges.  Isn't  that  a  queer  name?  No  one 
seems  to  know  why  it  was  so  called. 

The  sensitive  fern  is  found  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the 
United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  in  a 
few  places  west  of  it.     It  also  grows  in  Japan. 

47 


FERNS 

Full- veined  and  lusty  green  it  stands, 

Of  all  the  wintry  woods  the  gem; 
Our  spirits  rise  when  we  discern 
The  pennons  of  the  Christmas  fern. 

With  holly  and  the  running  pine 

Then  let  its  fronds  in  wreaths  appear, 

'Tis  summer's  fairest  tribute  given 
To  grace  our  merry  Yuletide  cheer; 

Ah,  who  can  fear  the  winter  stern 

While  still  there  grows  the  Christmas  fern." 


SPINULOSE  WOOD   FERN 

As  you  may  see  from  its  name,  this  fern  grows  in 
the  woods.  It  likes  the  shelter  of  rocks  and  large 
trees.  There  are  several  different  forms.  All  of  these 
have  stiff  brown  scales  or  " spines"  along  the  stipes. 
These  give  the  fern  its  name  of  "spinulose." 

The  fronds  are  a  rich  green.  They  spring  up  in 
circles  from  fallen  trees  and  decayed  stumps,  as  well 
as  from  the  ground.  The  leaves  are  so  finely  cut  that 
they  give  a  delicate  lacehke  look  to  the  plant.  When 
young  they  are  often  very  sticky  on  the  under  side. 

The  spore-bearing  fronds  are  apt  to  be  somewhat 
taller  than  the  others.  You  can  see  the  fruit  dots  on 
the  back  of  the  longer  frond  in  the  picture.     If  you 

50 


SPINULOSE  WOOD  FERN 


were  to  look  at  this  leaf  through  a  magnifying  glass, 

3rou  would  find  that  these  dots  were  in  double  rows  on 

each  of  the  leaflets.     They  are  round,  but  they  have 

a    kidney  -  shaped 

covering.     The 

spore   cases    are 

peeping   out  from 

under  the  edges  of 

this. 

All  forms  of 
the  spinulose  fern 
are  evergreen.  The 
fronds  turn  brown 
early  in  the  spring. 
One  variety  is 
much  used  by  flo- 
rists in  making  up 
designs.  They  use 
this  and  the  Christ- 
mas fern  more  than 
any  others.  A  New 
Orleans  florist  says  that  they  are  sent  South  by  mil- 
lions and  kept  in  cold  storage  until  wanted. 

Another  form  is  very  common  in  Alaska.  Its 
rootstock  is  the  first  vegetable  food  that  the  Alaska 
Indians  are  able  to  get  in  spring.  They  dig  it  before 
the  fronds  spring  up  and  bake  it  in  pits  lined  with  hot 
stones.     It  is  said  to  have  a  sweetish  taste,  but  that 

51 


The  Spinulose  Wood  Fern. 


FERNS 

white  people  do  not  like  it.     It  is  too  smoky  and  tastes 
too  much  like  tobacco  to  suit  them. 

This  plant  is  very  easy  to  cultivate.     It  grows 
beautifully  in  the  house  among  other  ferns. 


THE  COMMON  POLYPODY 

Among  all  our  ferns  there  is  probably  .none  more 
common  than  the  polypody.  It  will  grow  almost  any- 
where. It  likes  best,  however,  the  top  of  a  shaded 
ledge  of  rocks  where  the  soil  is  somewhat  dry. 

You  can  see  in  the  picture  how  slender  the  brown 
rootstock  is.  This  creeps  along  near  the  surface  of 
the  soil.  It  was  because  this  rootstock  had  so  many 
branches  that  the  fern  received  the  name  of  polypody, 
which  means  "many  feet."  The  spreading  branches 
seem  to  bind  the  plants  together  as  they  almost  hang 
over  the  rocky  ledge.  These  ferns,  thus  bound  to- 
gether, have  been  compared  to  people  who  are  climb- 
ing the  mountains  and  are  kept  from  falling  by  a  rope 
which  ties  them  together. 

The  young  fronds  appear  in  the  spring.  Others 
come  up  during  the  early  summer.  They  are  from 
four  to  ten  inches  long.  You  can  see  in  the  picture 
how  the  leaf  is  divided.  The  deep-green  frond  is  thick 
and  leathery.  This  helps  the  fern  to  live  through  long 
periods   of  dry   weather.     Even   in   midsummer   the 

52 


THE   COMMON  POLYPODY 


leaves  keep 
their  freshness 
and  color. 
Sometimes 
they  curl  up  if 
there  is  no  rain 
for  a  long  time. 
A  good  shower 
will  soon  re- 
vive them. 
The  polypody 
seems  to  make 
the  most  of 
every  drop  of 
moisture. 

About  the 
middle  of  June 
the  bright  yel- 
low-brown 
fruit  dots  be- 
gin to  appear. 
A  month  later 
they  are  well 
grown.  You 
can  see  them  upon  the  back  of  one  of  the  fronds. 
They  are  generally  near  the  margin,  and  mostly  on 
the  upper  part  of  the  frond.  These  fruit  dots  are 
round  and  very  large.     They  have  no  covering. 

53 


The  Common  Polypody. 


FERNS 

When  winter  comes  the  polypody  still  carpets  the 
rocks  with  its  cheerful  evergreen  fronds.  If,  at  this 
season,  you  visit  the  woods  where  it  grows,  you  will 
find  it  green  and  full  of  life,  as  if  defying  the  frost. 
The  poet  says : 

"And  there,  though  shaken  by  wind  and  storm, 
The  glint  of  her  fronds  is  seen 
As  she  wreathes  about  the  lichened  stone 
A  circle  of  delicate  green." 

The  picture  that  you  see  is  from  a  plant  found  on 
Long  Island  during  the  month  of  December. 


THE  RUSTY  WOODSIA 

While  wandering  about  through  the  woods  at 
Roger's  Rock,  Lake  George,  we  found  a  number  of 
dainty  little  ferns.  Among  them  was  the  rusty 
woodsia.  Tufts  of  this  fern  grew  on  the  top  of  the 
gray  rocks  overlooking  the  lake.  There  was  not 
much  depth  of  soil,  so  the  plants  had  little  moisture. 
Scattered  trees  here  and  there  allowed  the  sun  to 
peep  in. 

This  little  fern  loves  to  grow  on  rocks.  The  dense 
tufts  or  masses  in  which  it  grows  help  to  give  it 
moisture.     About  an  inch  above  its  base  the  stipe  is 

54 


"  The  Woodsia  fern 

that  scorns  to  dwell 
By  shaded  cliff, 
in  shadowy  dell, 
L           But  on  the  gray  ridge 
■£                    rooted  fast, 
gfc.         Fears  neither  sun 

nor  tempest's 
0     ^            blast." 

The  Rusty  Woodsia. 

55 


FERNS 

jointed.  When  a  frond  dies  it  breaks  off  at  this  joint. 
The  bases  of  the  old  stipes,  standing  together,  make 
a  trap  to  catch  all  the  particles  of  soil  that  are 
brought  along  by  the  wind.  These,  together  with  the 
masses  of  rootstocks  and  rootlets,  hold  the  moisture 
as  long  as  they  can. 

The  leaves,  also,  are  made  to  keep  moist  for  some 
time.  They  are  smooth  above,  but  on  the  under  side 
of  the  frond,  where  the  breathing  pores  are  situated, 
there  is  a  scaly  covering.  This  prevents  the  moisture 
from  going  off  too  rapidly.  In  May,  when  the  fronds 
uncoil,  the  scales  are  almost  white;  but  they  soon 
turn  to  the  color  that  has  given  the  fern  its  common 
name. 

The  fruit  dots  are  round.  Their  covering  consists 
of  a  few  slender  hairs  which  curve  over  the  spore 
cases  when  they  are  young.  On  old  fronds  the  under 
side  is  so  woolly  that  the  fruit  dots  are  almost  con- 
cealed. 

This  is  a  pretty  little  member  of  the  rock-loving 
family  of  ferns.  Look  for  it  on  the  rocks  when  you 
visit  the  woods.  It  is  well  worth  searching  for  as  it 
stands 

" Content  above  the  world  to  brood 
In  silence  and  in  solitude  " 


56 


THE  EVERGREEN   WOOD   FERX 


THE    EVERGREEN    WOOD    FERX,    OR    MAR- 
GINAL SHIELD  FERN 

Another  fern  found  at  Lake  George  is  shown  in 
the  picture.  This  is  an  evergreen  wood  fern.  As  it 
grew  on  the  rocks  where  the  soil  was  not  deep  the 
fronds  are  rather 
small.  Notice 
what  a  large  root 
there  is  for  so 
small  a  plant.  No 
other  wood  fern 
has  so  heavy  a 
rootstock.  Do 
you  see  the  long, 
chaff}*  scales  along 
the  stem  and  on 
the  rootstock? 
These  are  always 
found  on  this 
kind  of  fern. 

The  fronds  are 
thick,  almost  like 
leather.    They  are 

of  a  dark  bluish-green  color  and  are  lighter  on  the 
under  side.  As  is  shown  by  its  name,  these  fronds 
remain  green  through  the  winter.     But  they  do  not 

57 


Evergreen  Wood  Fern. 


FERNS 

stand  erect.  In  the  fall  the  stipes  get  weak  at  the 
base,  and  the  fronds  bend  over  to  the  ground. 

The  fruit  dots  of  this  fern  are  on  the  margin  of  the 
leaflets.  See  how  close  to  the  edge  they  cling.  Often 
they  look  as  if  pushing  out  beyond  it.  Because  of  this 
the  plant  is  sometimes  called  the  marginal  shield  fern. 
When  the  fruit  dots  are  young,  they  are  hidden  by  a 
white  or  gray  covering.  This  does  not  wither  as  soon 
as  it  does  in  most  ferns. 

This  is  an  American  fern.  It  is  found  from  Canada 
southward  to  Alabama  and  Georgia. 


FERNS  IN  STONE  AND  COAL 

If  you  were  to  visit  some  of  the  coal  mines  of  our 
country,  you  might  find  pieces  of  coal  upon  which 
there  were  very  distinct  fern-leaf  shapes.  These  same 
forms  are  often  seen  upon  stones  that  are  taken  out 
of  quarries.  They  are  called  fossils.  Here  is  a  picture 
of  a  piece  of  stone  that  has  some  of  these  plant  forms. 
You  can  see  that  none  of  the  fronds  are  perfect.  Very 
seldom  is  an  unbroken  leaf  found. 

How  do  you  suppose  that  ferns  got  inside  of  these 
masses  of  coal  and  rock?  Men  have  learned  that  coal 
is  made  up  of  plant  material.  From  this,  they  know 
that  coal  beds  are  not  like  other  rocks;  but 'that  at 
some  time  there  was  a  mass  of  plant  life  here.     As 

58 


FERNS  IN"  STONE  AND  COAL 

many  fern  fossils  are  found,  there  must  have  been  a 
great  number  of  those  plants.  Some  of  them  were 
very  large,  much  larger  than  they  grow  now. 

It  must  have  taken  a  long  time  for  the  coal  to 
become  such  a  hard  mass.  It  was  certainly  thousands 
of  years  ago  that  these  ferns  grew.  Let  us  see  how 
they  changed,  and  why 
the  forms  of  these  plants 
can  be  so  distinctly  seen. 

Did  you  ever  step 
into  soft,  wet  mud  and 
find  that  the  shape  of 
your  foot  was  left  there? 
That  was  because  your 
foot  was  harder  than  the 
mud.  This  is  what  prob- 
ably   happened    to    the 

masses  of  plants.  They  formed  at  first  a  thick  mat 
of  rushes,  ferns,  and  trees.  Then  water  flowed  over 
these  beds,  and  mud,  sand,  and  gravel  settled  there. 
At  length  these  formed  thick  layers  on  top  of  the 
plants.  They  gradually  pressed  down  close  upon  the 
mass  below,  and  there  hardened  into  stone.  The  ferns 
and  other  plants  left  their  forms  upon  this  rock  wher- 
ever they  were  pressed  against  it.  Under  this  layer  of 
rock  the  plant  mass,  packed  down,  and  kept  warm, 
but  without  light,  gradually  changed  to  coal. 


A  Fern  changed  to  Coal. 


59 


FEKNTS 

"Ina  valley  centuries  ago 
Grew  a  little  fern  leaf  green  and  slender, 
Veining  delicate  and  fibers  tender, 
Waving  when  the  wind  crept  down  so  low; 
Rushes  tall  and  moss  and  grass  grew  round  it, 
Playful  sunbeams  darted  in  and  found  it, 
Drops  of  dew  stole  down  by  night  and  crowned  it. 
But  no  foot  of  man  e'er  came  that  way 
Earth  was  young  and  keeping  holiday. 

Monster  fishes  swam  the  silent  main, 
Stately  forests  waved  their  giant  branches, 
Mountains  hurled  their  snowy  avalanches, 
Mammoth  creatures  stalked  across  the  plain; 
Nature  reveled  in  grand  mysteries; 
But  the  little  fern  was  not  of  these, 
Did  not  number  with  the  hills  and  trees, 
Only  grew,  and  waved  its  wild  sweet  way; 
No  one  came  to  note  it  day  by  day. 

Earth  one  time  put  on  a  frolic  mood, 
Heaved  the  rocks,  and  changed  the  mighty  motion 
Of  the  deep  strong  currents  of  the  ocean; 
Moved  the  plain  and  shook  the  haughty  wood, 
Crushed  the  little  fern  in  soft  moist  clay, 
Covered  it  and  hid  it  safe  away. 
Oh,  the  long,  long  centuries  since  that  day! 
Oh,  the  changes !  oh,  life's  bitter  cost ! 
Since  the  useless  little  fern  was  lost. 

60 


FERNS  IN  STONE  AND  COAL 

Useless?    Lost?    There  came  a  thoughtful  man 

Searching  nature's  secrets  far  and  deep; 

From  a  fissure  in  a  rocky  steep 

He  withdrew  a  stone  o'er  which  there  ran 

Fairy  pencilings,  a  quaint  design, 

Leafage,  veining,  fibers  clear  and  fine, 

And  the  fern's  fife  lay  in  every  fine." 


61 


MUSHROOMS 

We  are  now  going  to  read  about  mushrooms,  or 
toadstools.  Perhaps  you  will  like  them  the  best  of  any- 
thing in  this  book.  It  seems  almost  strange  to  call 
them  plants — they  have  no  separate  root,  stem,  or  leaf. 
They  are  not  green,  nor  are  they  the  shape  of  other 
plants.  Such  plants  are  called  fungi.  People  who  have 
studied  them,  however,  find  that  fungi  grow  somewhat 
as  other  plants  do,  and  that  the}^  bear  spores  from  which 
we  get  new  plants. 

Like  the  ferns  and  mosses,  mushrooms  are  found 
everywhere.  In  the  woods,  you  ma}r  see  bright-red, 
orange,  or  yellow  toadstools  peering  out  from  among 
the  dead  leaves  at  your  feet.  Tall  gray,  brown,  or  white 
/Ones  afe  seen  here  and  there  growing  around  the  roots 
of  trees  and  stumps.  Dense  clusters  of  them  grow  out 
like  brackets  on  the  trunks  of  standing  trees.  Others 
may  be  seen  on  the  fallen  logs  which  lie  across  the  path. 
Some  looking  like  branches  of  dainty  coral  light  up  the 
wood  with  their  pink  or  golden  coloring. 

In  the  cattle  pastures  and  along  the  roadside  they 
are  the  companions  of  the  ferns,  the  mosses,  and  the 
flowering  plants.     On  the  lawn  we  find  them  springing 

62 


MUSHROOMS 


up  in  clusters  or  circles,  especially  in  damp  weather,  or 
after  a  heavy  rain.  Even  the  garden  is  not  free  from 
them,  and  they  are  often  found  in  damp  cellars  and 
mines.  Sawdust  is 
also  a  favorite  place 
for  fungi  to  grow. 

It  is  not  their 
coloring  alone  that 
makes  mushrooms 
so  pretty.  They  are 
found  in  all  sorts  of 
odd  shapes,  as  um- 
brellas, balls,  nests, 
cups,  clubs,  hoofs, 
shells,  and  hemi- 
spheres. The  picture 
shows  you  some  of 
these.  But  there 
are  other  forms  that 
are  less  pleasing. 
The  mildew  on  linen 
the  mold  on  bread, 
the  rust  and  smut 
that  spoil  grain  and 
corn,  are  forms  of  fungi  which  we  do   not  like. 

The  mushrooms  found  in  the  woods  and  fields  feed 
upon  decaying  wood  and  leaves.  They  must  have  food 
on  which  to  grow,  just  as  we  must  have  food  to  make 

63 


Mushrooms  Showing  Difference  in  Shape  of 
Caps.     1,  Stipe  or  Stem;  2,  Cap. 


MUSHROOMS 


us  large  and  strong.  They  have  no  leaf  green,  so  they 
must  feed  on  material  which  has  been  made  by  green 
plants. 

People  who  have  studied  fungi  have  placed  them  in 
three  classes.  The  first  is  a  cobwebby  plant,  and  in- 
cludes the  bread  mold,  the  potato  rot,  and  the  fungus 
which  grows  on  fishes  and  makes  them 
die.     First  we  see  fine  white  threads 


The  Bread  Mold.  1,  Fine 
Threads  that  form  the 
Plant;  2,   Spore  Cases. 


Spores  in  Sacs. 


Spores  on  Little  Stalks 
Standing  in  Large 
Cells.  1,  Spore 
Cases;  2,  Stalks  on 
which  Spore  Cases 
Grow;  3,  Cell  out 
of  which  the  Stalks 
Grow. 


which  form  the  plant.  Later  there  are  spore  cases 
holding  tiny  black  spores.  As  their  number  increases, 
they  form  a  disagreeable  black  mass  which  destroys 
the  life  of  that  upon  which  it  lives. 

The  second  class  form  spores  in  delicate  sacs. 
Among  these  is  the  yeast  plant  by  which  our  bread  is 
raised.     The  fungus  which  makes  the  peach  leaves  curl, 

64 


PARTS   OF  A  MUSHROOM 

and  puts  black  knots  on  cherry  and  plum  trees,  is  of  this 
kind. 

In  the  third  class  are  all  the  fungi  which  bear  their 
spores  on  little  stalks  standing  up  in  large  cells.  This 
class  contains  most  of  the  mushrooms  that  we  find  in 
the  woods  and  fields.  It  is  about  these  that  we  are 
going  to  read.  When  you  pick  them  you  call  them 
toadstools.  When  they  are  cooked  and  given  us  to  eat 
we  speak  of  them  as  mushrooms.  Yet  they  may  be 
exactly  the  same. 


PARTS  OF  A  MUSHROOM 

Many  mushrooms  look  like  parasols  or  umbrellas. 
The  handle  is  the  stem,  or  stipe.  The  open  top  is  the 
cap,  or  pileus.  The  cap  is  the  first  part  to  be  noticed. 
It  is  often  very  bright-colored.  The  size  of  the  cap 
varies  from  an  eighth  of  an  inch  to  sixteen  inches  or 
more  across.  The  outside  may  be  smooth,  or  it  may  be 
covered  with  little  scales.  Sometimes  it  shines  like 
satin.  Notice  how  the  caps  of  the  small  mushrooms  on 
this  page  differ  in  shape. 

The  cap  is  held  in  place  by  the  stem  which  grows  up 
out  of  the  ground,  or  out  from  a  tree  or  stump.  Some- 
times this  stipe  is  joined  to  the  cap  in  the  middle;  often 
it  is  at  the  side.  Frequently  there  is  no  stem.  In  this 
case  the  cap  grows  squarelv  against  the  surface  of  a  tree 

65 


MUSHROOMS 


or  stump.  Sometimes  the  stems  are  of  solid  flesh  all  the 
way  through.  Others  are  hollow,  like  a  piece  of  rubber 
tubing.  The  stem  is  often  brittle  and  breaks  easily. 
In  other  plants  it  is  impossible  to  divide  it  evenly  in 
breaking. 

When  the  plant  is  young,  the  edge  of  the  cap  lies 

close  to  the  stem. 
~"1  In  some  mush- 
rooms, the  cap 
spreads  out  with- 
out ever  being  fas- 
tened to  the  stipe. 
In  others,  threads 
grow  from  the 
edge  of  the  cap 
and  from  the  outer 
layer  of  the  stem. 
These  interlace 
and  form  a  deli- 
cate veil  which 
closes  the  space 
between  the  cap 
and  stipe.  The 
veil  remains  firm  for  a  while  but  is  finally  torn  by  the 
opening  cap.  Its  remnants  are  left  for  a  time  as  a 
ring  on  the  upper  part  of  the  stem,  or  else  parts  of  it 
hang  in  flakes  from  the  edge  of  the  cap. 

Examine  a  mushroom  of  this  kind,  and  you  will  see 

66 


Parts  of  a  Mushroom.  1,  The  Cap  or  Pileus; 
2,  The  Gills  Where  Veil  is  Torn;  3,  The 
Veil;  4,  Part  of  Veil  Remaining  on  Stem. 
This  Forms  the  Ring  or  Annulus;  5,  The 
Stem,  or  Stipe;  6,  The  Volva  or  Cup. 


PARTS   OF   A  MUSHROOM 


that  on  the  under  side  of  the  cap,  reaching  from  the 
stem  to  the  edge,  there  are  thin  plates  or  gills.    When 


^  i^  Um  r™ 


V 


Mushroom 
with  Gills. 


Mushroom  with  Tubes; 
or  Pores. 


Mushroom 
with  Teeth. 


the  plant  is  young  the  gills  cannot  be  seen.  They  are 
hidden  under  the  veil.  As  soon  as  this  breaks  they 
come  into  sight.  It  is  on  the  surface  of  the  gills  that  the 
spores  are  formed.  When  they 
are  ripe  they  fall  to  the  ground 
and  grow  into  mushrooms,  as  you 
will  learn  in  the  next  chapter. 

If  you  wish  to  see  these  spores, 
cut  off  the  stem  of  the  mushroom 
and  place  the  cap,  gills  downward, 
upon  a  piece  of  paper.  Choose 
a  plant  with  dark  gills  and  use 
white  paper.  Cover  with  a  glass 
so  that  the  wind  cannot  touch  it.  In  a  few  hours  re- 
move the  glass  and  lift  the  cap  carefully.     You  will 

67 


Spore  Prints. 


MUSHROOMS 

probably  find  the  spores  on  the  paper  in  the  form  of 
the  gills,  as  you  see  in  the  picture  on  this  page. 

There  are  some  mushrooms  that  have  in  addition  to 
the  cap,  gills,  stem,  and  ring,  a  part  somewhat  like  a 
cup.  This  is  at  the  lower  end  of  the  stem.  From  it 
the  stem  appears  to  spring.  This  is  the  volva.  It  is 
sometimes  called  the  " poison  cup"  because  it  is  found 
on  some  of  the  most  poisonous  mushrooms. 


HOW  MUSHROOMS  GROW 

You  have  already  learned  that  all  forms  of  fungi  are 
spore-bearing  plants.     But  how  do  these  queer-looking 

plants  grow  from  spores? 
A  spore  has  but  one  cell. 
This  cell  can  absorb  food 
through  its  walls.  When 
the  spore  falls  in  a  warm, 
moist  place,  it  begins  to 
take  in  food  and  grow. 
Then  it  divides  into  two 
cells.  Each  new  cell  di- 
vides again,  until  long 
chains  of  cells  are  formed. 
These  look  like  threads. 
Soon  they  form  below 
the  surface  of  the  earth  a  tangled  mass  called  the 
my-ce'li-um,  or  spawn.     The  mycelium  feeds  on  the 

68 


How  Mushrooms  Begin  to  Grow.  1 ,  A 
Single  Spore  or  Cell;  2,  A  Spore,  or 
Cell,  Grown  Larger;  3,  A  Spore  Di- 
vided into  Two  Cells;  4,  A  Chain  of 
Cells;  5,  A  Tangled  Mass  of  Cells 
(called  Spawn). 


HOW  MUSHROOMS  GROW 


decaying  vegetable  substance  around  and  spreads 
through  the  soil  somewhat  as  the  rootstock  and  rootlets 
of  ferns  do. 

After  a  while  the  threads  mat  together  at  certain 
places  and  form  little  balls.  At  first  these  are  about  as 
big  as  the  head  of  a  pin.  They  grow  larger  until  they 
are  the  size  of  a  shoe  button.  If  the  ball  is  to  be- 
come a  toadstool 
a  stem  appears. 
The  stem  and  the 
button  keep  on 
growing  and  soon 
the  button  comes 
out  of  the  earth. 
Then  it  expands 
and  we  see  our 
acquaintance,  the 
toadstool. 

If  the  button 

is  to  be  what  is  known  as  a  puffball  no  stem  appears. 
It  grows  into  a  round  ball  covered  with  a  skin  or  rind. 
Sometimes  the  part  that  springs  out  of  the  earth  stands 
erect  and  sends  out  many  branches.  Then  it  looks 
like  a  piece  of  coral.  Or  it  may  be  shaped  like  an 
Indian's  club.  This  plant  is  four  or  five  inches  tall 
and  is  blunt  and  rounded  at  the  end. 

Some  fungi  grow  in  trees  instead  of  in  the  ground. 
The  mycelium  gets  into  the  tree  through  wounds  where 

69 


Spawn,  or  Mycelium.    Shows  Button  Stage  and 
Young  Mushroom  with  Parts  Complete. 


MUSHROOMS 

branches  are  broken  off.  Here  it  lives  and  grows  for 
years,  gradually  taking  the  life  from  the  tree  and  caus- 
ing it  to  decay. 

When  people  wish  to  grow  mushrooms  they  plant  the 
mycelium,  or  spawn.  The  growth  from  soawn  is  much 
quicker  than  from  spores. 


THE  COMMON  MEADOW  MUSHROOM 

The  common  meadow  mushroom  is  the  best  known 
of  the  fungi.  It  is  found  for  sale  in  many  markets. 
The  picture  shows  you  a  cluster  of  these  plants  as  they 
grow  among  the  meadow  grass.  Though  this  is  their 
favorite  dwelling  place,  they  are  sometimes  found  on 
the  lawn,  in  the  garden  and  pasture,  and  by  the  road- 
side. 

The  thick,  fleshy  cap  is  rounded,  and  is  usually  white 
or  light  brown.  The  surface  is  smooth  and  a  little 
silky.  Sometimes  it  is  torn  up  into  scales.  These 
scales  are  often  of  a  dark  color. 

The  most  important  thing  to  notice  in  this  plant  is  its 
gills  and  their  color.  As  the  cap  expands,  and  the  veil 
breaks,  we  find  them  to  be  of  a  delicate  pinkish  tint. 
When  they  grow  older  they  change  to  a  smoky  brown. 
This  is  because  of  the  great  number  of  dark-colored 
spores  that  are  borne  on  their  surface.  No  poisonous 
mushrooms  are  known  whose  pinkish  spores  turn  brown 

70 


THE  COMMON  MEADOW  MUSHROOM 

as   these   do.     The  gills  are  close  together  and  are 
rounded  at  the  stem  end.    They  curve  up  to  the  cap. 

The  stem  is  short  and  is  about  the  same  size  from 
top  to  base.     It  is  quite  solid — perhaps  a  trifle  softer  in 


The  Common  Meadow  Mushroom. 


the  middle  than  near  the  surface.     It  is  easily  separated 
from  the  cap. 

The  veil  is  white  and  silky.  It  is  thin  and  very 
frail.  It  stretches  as  the  cap  spreads  out  and  is  finally 
torn  so  that  it  clings  as  a  ring  around  the  stem.  This 
ring  is  so  delicate  that  it  is  easily  rubbed  off.    A  rain 

71 


MUSHROOMS 

will  often  wash  it  away.  Sometimes  pieces  of  the  veil 
hang  around  the  edges  of  the  cap. 

The  flesh  is  white,  but  it  may  become  slightly  tinged 
with  red  when  cut  and  exposed  to  the  air.  Its  taste  is 
pleasant,  somewhat  like  that  of  a  nut. 

This  is  the  plant  that  is  generally  spoken  of  as  "the 
mushroom."  Probably  because  it  is  the  only  fungus 
that  has  been  cultivated  to  any  great  extent.  Gener- 
ally the  mushroom  or  toadstool  refuses  to  be  coaxed 
into  growing  anywhere  except  in  its  native  place. 
"They  will  not  emigrate;  they  refuse  to  be  educated, 
and  stand  themselves  upon  their  single  leg,  as  the  most 
independent  and  contrary  growth  with  which  man  has 
to  deal."  But  the  common  mushroom,  when  carefully 
transplanted  and  cared  for,  will  reward  its  cultivator 
with  an  abundant  crop. 

There  is  a  plant  known  as  the  horse  or  field  mush- 
room that  is  very  much  like  the  common  meadow 
mushroom  and  grows  in  about  the  same  places.  It  is 
somewhat  larger.  The  stem  is  hollow,  and  larger  at 
the  base  than  at  the  top.  Near  the  cap  is  a  double 
ring  or  collar  the  lower  part  of  which  is  thicker  than 
the  upper.  As  it  is  good  to  eat,  there  is  no  harm  done 
if  we  cannot  always  tell  it  from  the  common  mush- 
room. 


72 


THE   FAIRY-RING  MUSHROOM 


THE  FAIRY-RING  MUSHROOM 

Here  you  see  a  leathery  little  toadstool  that  shrivels 
up  when  dry,  but  becomes  soft  again  when  moistened 
by  rain  or  dew.  It  is  common  in  grassy  places,  such  as 
lawns,  roadsides,  and  pastures.  The  plants  may  be 
seen  from  May  until  October. 

The  cap  of  this  mushroom  is  from  one  to  two 
inches  broad.  When  young  it  is  tawny  or  reddish, 
but  it  becomes  paler  as  it  grows  older.  When  dry  it 
is  usually  a  light  yellow  or  buff.  In  the  older  plants 
the  center  of  the  cap  is  often  raised  in  a  distinct  tiny 
mound.     You  can  see  this  in  the  picture. 

The  gills  are  somewhat  broad  and  far  apart.  Their 
color  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  cap,  or  lighter.  The 
spores  are  white. 

The  slender  stem  is  from  one  to  two  and  a  half 
inches  long  with  a  smooth  surface.  It  is  solid  and 
quite  tough.  The  color  is  whitish  or  a  creamy  yel- 
low. 

This  mushroom  usually  grows  in  rings  or  circles. 
It  was  once  thought  that  the  elves  made  the  mushroom 
rings  for  their  moonlight  dances.  This  is  the  reason 
that  it  was  called  the  "fairy-ring"  mushroom. 

Many  are  the  tales  which  were  told  by  the  "old 
folks"  in  some  parts  of  England  and  Scotland  about 
travelers  who  were  seized  by  the  fairies  and  carried  off 

73 


MUSHROOMS 

to  join  in  their  dances  within  the  "mystic  circle."  On 
pleasant  nights  these  little  people  sat  or  danced  on  the 
top  of  the  toadstools.  If  a  sudden  shower  came  on 
they  huddled  together  beneath  them.  One  old  gar- 
dener declared  that  he  had  seen  the  fairies  holding  a 


These  are  the  tents  of  the  fairies 
That  camped  last  night  on  the  lawn. 

Early  this  morning  I  found  them, 
But  the  sly  fairies  had  gone." 


toadstool  over  their  fairy  queen  for  an  umbrella,  as 
she  tripped  home  in  the  rain. 

74 


THE   FAIRY-RING   MUSHROOM 
Another  story  is  told  of  a  fairy  feast  in  which — 

"  A  little  mushroom  that  was  now  grown  thinner 
By  being  at  one  time  shaven  for  the  dinner  " 

served  for  a  table. 

This  is  not  the  only  fungus  that  appears  in  circles. 
Several  different  kinds  are  said  to  grow  in  this  way. 
The  reason  that  fungi  grow  in  rings,  is  because  of  the 
way  that  the  mycelium  grows.  At  first  there  is  a 
single  mushroom.  This  uses  up  the  soil  so  that  the 
plant  will  not  come  up  in  the  same  spot  again.  But 
the  spawn  spreads,  and  the  next  year  sends  up  plants 
in  a  small  ring  outside  the  place  where  the  one  grew 
the  year  before.  Again  the  mycelium  spreads  and  the 
spores  fall.  In  this  way  the  size  of  the  circle  increases 
each  year. 

For  a  long  time  the  "fairy-ring"  mushroom  has 
been  used  for  food.  It  is  small,  but  in  some  places 
bushels  may  be  gathered  in  a  day.  It  has  an  agreeable 
nutty  taste. 

Mr.  Hamilton  Gibson  said:  "I  remember,  as  a  boy, 
summer  after  summer,  observing  upon  a  certain  spot 
upon  our  lawn  this  dense,  and  at  length  scattering, 
ring  of  tiny  yellowish  mushrooms,  and  the  aroma,  as 
they  simmered  on  the  kitchen  stove,  is  an  appetizing 
memorv." 


75 


MUSHROOMS 

THE  BOLETI 

If  you  look  on  the  under  side  of  this  mushroom  for 
gills  you  will  not  find  them.  It  is  one  of  those  plants 
that  have  their  spores  inside  of  tubes  or  pores.  All 
such  mushrooms  are  called  pol'y-po-ri,  or  "many 
pores." 

A  great  number  of  these  fungi  are  found  on  the 
trunks  of  trees,  where  they  grow  larger  and  larger  each 
year.  But  this  mushroom  did  not  grow  on  a  tree.  It 
came  up  out  of  the  ground,  just  as  the  common  meadow 
mushroom  and  the  fairy-ring  did.  Instead  of  springing 
up  in  the  grass  it  grew  under  the  trees  in  the  woods, 
where  we  found  it  during  the  month  of  July. 

While  this  fungus  belongs  to  the  order  of  the  Poly- 
pori,  it  is  called  also  the  boletus.  If  we  speak  of 
a  number  of  these  plants  together  we  call  them  the 
boleti. 

The  cap  of  a  boletus  is  soft  and  thick,  like  a  cushion, 
and  feels  like  velvet  to  the  touch. 

The  plant  in  the  picture  is  known  as  the  edible 
boletus.  It  is  white  and  firm  and  somewhat  sweet. 
The  young  plants  taste  like  raw  chestnuts. 

The  upper  surface  of  the  cap  of  the  edible  boletus 
is  brown.  The  tube  part  is  white  when  the  mush- 
room is  young.  Later  it  becomes  yellow  or  a  yellowish 
green. 

76 


r 


The  Edible  Boletus. 


INK  CAPS 

The  stem  is  long  and  largest  at  the  base.  It  is 
pale  brown  in  color  and  generally  has  a  network  of 
pink  lines.  As  it  is  apt  to  be  tough  and  stringy,  it 
should  be  cut  out  when  the  plant  is  cooked. 

These  mushrooms  are  often  dried  and  used  for  flav- 
oring.    They  are  also  eaten  raw  with  pepper  and  salt. 

It  is  best  to  be  very  cautious  about  the  use  of  these 
plants.  None  that  have  not  been  pronounced  safe  by 
good  authority  should  ever  be  eaten. 

In  color,  the  boleti  are  crimson,  green,  or  yellow.  A 
strange  thing  about  them  is  the  way  that  they  change 
color  when  cut,  broken,  or  bruised.  In  some,  the  flesh 
becomes  red  immediately,  while  others  turn  blue  or  a 
bluish  green. 


INK  CAPS 

Ox  some  summer  or  autumn  morning  you  may 
find,  on  the  lawn,  a  crowded  mass  of  odd-looking  mush- 
rooms. A  few  hours  later  the  tall  stems  may  be  stand- 
ing, but  the  caps  are  broken  or  melted  away.  An  inky 
fluid  is,  perhaps,  still  dropping  from  them. 

These  plants  are  ink  caps  and  are  sometimes  called 
"inky  toadstools."  The  stem  is  slender,  smooth,  and 
hollow.  The  cap  is  of  a  gray  color.  The  gills  are  broad 
and  lie  closely  packed  side  by  side.  When  young  they 
are  a  creamy  white,  but  later  thev  turn  to  a  pinkish 

77 


MUSHROOMS 

gray.  When  the  spores  begin  to  ripen  they  turn  black 
and  the  color  of  the  gills  changes.  The  cap  now  begins 
to  expand  and  to  turn  into  an  inky  fluid,  first  becoming 
dark  and  then  melting  into  a  black  liquid.     This  melt- 


Ink  Caps. 


ing  mass  forms  into  drops  which  fall  from  the  margin  of 
the  cap.  The  extreme  outer  surface  of  the  gills  does 
not  dissolve  so  freely,  and  the  thin  remnant  curls  up- 
ward and  rolls  up  on  the  top  of  the  cap. 

78 


THE  AMANITA  FAMILY 

We  had  a  number  of  these  plants  in  the  garden,  and 
several  efforts  were  made  to  keep  them.  The  results 
may  be  seen  in  this  pic- 
ture. The  only  way  in 
which  they  could  be 
kept  was  to  put  them 
behind  glass,  where 
nothing  could  touch 
them. 

Does  it  not  seem 
strange  that  such  black- 
looking  things  should  be 
good  to  eat?  Yet,  they 
are  pronounced  excel- 
lent by  mushroom  lov- 
ers. They  should  be 
picked  when  very  young 
and  cooked  as  soon  as 
they  are  brought  into  the 


Ink  Caps  Dried. 


house.    A  very  fine  catchup  is  made  from  these  plants. 
The  black  fluid  is  sometimes  used  for  ink,  but  it  is 
not  considered  a  very  good  article. 


THE  AMANITA  FAMILY 

Did  you  ever  find  a  beautiful  plant  or  some  pretty 
bright-colored  berries,  and  hear  mamma  say  that  you 
must  not  touch  them  because  they  were  poisonous? 

79 


THE  AMANITA  FAMILY 


The  picture  on  the  opposite  page  shows  you  four  mush- 
rooms of  the  Am-a-ni'ta  family.  These,  like  the  poi- 
sonous berries,  should  be  let  alone.  Though  they  are 
among  the  most  beautiful  of  fungi,  most  of  them  con- 
tain a  deadly  poison. 

Notice  the  tall,  light-colored  one.    This  is  sometimes 
called  the  Death  Cup  or  The  Destroying  Angel.     It 

contains  the  same 
poison  as  that 
of  the  rattlesnake 
and  other  venom- 
ous animals. 

This  plant  is 
found  from  June 
to  October.  It 
looks  so  much  like 
some  of  the  mush- 
rooms that  are 
good  for  food,  that 
it  is  often  picked 
and  eaten  by  mistake.  Look  at  the  base  of  the  stem  of 
a  mushroom  before  picking  it.  If  it  belongs  to  the 
Amanita  family,  there  will  be  a  cup  or  socket  either 
just  above  the  soil  or  hidden  under  the  ground.  This 
is  known  as  the  poison  cup,  and  all  fungi  having 
it  should  be  avoided. 

It  is  not  safe  even  to  handle  these  mushrooms.     Mr. 
Palmer,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  all  kinds  of  fungi, 

80 


Young  Plants  of  the  Amanita  Family. 


Members  of  the  Amanita  Family. 


MUSHROOMS 

tells  of  taking  a  large  bunch  of  Amanita?  to  an  artist 
friend.  He  carried  them  in  his  hand  and,  though 
wrapped  in  a  paper,  they  made  him  feel  quite  ill.  At 
another  time  he  had  all  the  symptoms  of  mushroom 
poisoning  from  smelling  of  two  fine  specimens  sent  him 
by  a  friend. 

The  beautiful  orange  mushroom  is  also  quite  com- 
mon. It  is  found  mostly  in  open  woods  or  groves  where 
the  soil  is  poor.  The  bright  coloring  of  the  cap  in 
contrast  with  the  white  stem  and  gills  makes  it  a  very 
showy  plant.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  fly  mush- 
room. There  is  something  about  it  that  attracts  flies, 
but  to  taste  its  juices  means  death  to  them.  Dead  flies 
are  often  found  on  the  ground  under  it.  It  has  been 
used  for  many  centuries  in  making  fly-poisons. 

From  earliest  times  the  poisonous  character  of  this 
plant  has  been  well  known.  The  Roman  emperor, 
Claudius,  was  given  poisonous  mushrooms  to  eat  and 
died  from  the  effects. 

Notwithstanding  its  poisonous  character  this  mush- 
room is  eaten  by  people  of  Russia  and  Siberia.  It  is 
thought  that  in  those  places  there  is  something  about 
the  plant  that  prevents  it  from  being  so  poisonous  as  it 
is  here.  Instead  of  killing  the  people,  it  intoxicates 
them. 

Another  poisonous  Amanita  is  seen  in  the  brown 
mushroom.  The  gills  are  white,  as  in  other  members  of 
the  family,  but  the  stem  is  light  brown. 

81 


TREE  MUSHROOMS 

The  last  of  these  four  mushrooms  has  been  known 
for  a  long  time.  It  is  not  poisonous.  The  Greeks  and 
Romans  were  very  fond  of  it.  They  called  it  food  of 
the  gods.  Caesar's  mushroom  and  the  imperial  mush- 
room are  other  names  for  it. 


TREE  MUSHROOMS 

Among  the  fungi  growing  on  decaying  stumps  and 
trees  is  a  form  known  as  the  oyster  mushroom.     It  was 

given  this  name 
because  its  shape 
is  much  like  that 
of  the  oyster  shell. 
These  mush- 
rooms grow  in 
clusters  and  some- 
times overlap  each 
other.  They  are 
often  irregular  in 
shape  because  of 
this  crowding.  A 
single  mushroom 
may  be  five  or 
six  inches  broad. 
They  grow  side- 
ways from  the  tree 


The  Oyster  Mushroom. 


82 


TREE   MUSHROOMS 

and  have  little  or  no  stem.  If  there  is  a  stem,  it  is 
fastened  to  the  side  of  the  cap.  The  upper  surface  of 
the  fungus  is  light  brown  or  buff.  The  gills  are  a  dirty 
white  and  they  bear  white  spores. 

These  plants  are  found  from  June  to  November. 
They  are  more  abundant  when  the  weather  is  wet.  For 
a  long  time  they  have  been  known  to  be  good  to  eat,  but 
the  flesh  is  rather  tough. 

Another  fungus  which  grows  on  trees  is  the  elm 
mushroom.  It  is  called  by  this  name  because  it  is 
found  mostly  upon  the  elm  tree. 
Sometimes  there  is  a  single 
plant;  again  a  dense  mass  is 
seen  covering  several  feet  of  the 
trunk  or  branches.  The  stem  of 
the  plant  is  generally  longer  than 
that  of  the  oyster  mushroom, 
and  it  is  attached  to  the  cap  be- 
tween the  center  and  the  edge. 

.  Llm  Mushroom. 

Ine  upper  surface  is  yellow  or 

buff.  When  young  it  is  smooth,  but  it  becomes 
broken  and  spotted  with  age.  The  flesh  and  spores 
are  white. 

On  account  of  its  peculiar  flavor  this  fungus  is  some- 
times called  the  fish  mushroom.  It  looks  somewhat 
like  fish,  too,  when  cooked.  Some  people  have  called 
it  the  tree  fish. 

There  is  a  third  member  of  the  familv  of  tree  fungi 

83 


MUSHROOMS 


SCvij 


The  Beefsteak  Mushroom. 


that  is  quite  different  from  those  that  we  have  been 
reading  about.  It  is  not  as  common  as  the  oyster  and 
elm  mushrooms.  It  is  of  a  dark-red  color,  and  is  very 
soft  and  juicy.     One  writer  in  describing  it  says  that  it 

looks  like  a  big  red 
tongue  sticking 
out  from  the  tree 
trunk. 

This  fungus  is 
called  the  beef- 
steak mushroom. 
Of  course  we  can 
tell  why  it  received 
this  name.  But  it 
has  other  names, 
too.  Sometimes  it  is  spoken  of  as  the  vegetable  beef- 
steak. Why,  do  you  think,  was  it  given  this  name?  It 
is  often  called  the  oak  or  chestnut  tongue.  This 
is  because  it  grows  mostly  on  oak  or  chestnut  trees. 
Here  it  may  be  found  in  wet  weather  from  June  to 
September. 

The  beefsteak  mushroom  usually  has  a  short  stem 
which  spreads  out  into  the  broad  and  thick  cap.  When 
young  the  upper  side  of  the  cap  is  velvety  and  of  a 
beautiful  peach  color.  As  it  grows  older,  it  loses  its 
velvety  look  and  becomes  a  deep  red  with  darker  red 
lines  extending  toward  the  edge  of  the  cap,  as  you  may 
see  in  the  picture  of  it. 

84 


TREE  MUSHROOMS 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  fungi  that  grow- 
out  like  brackets  from  dead  or  living  trees,  and  from 
the  stumps  that  stand  as  monuments  to  mark  the  spots 
where  trees  once  grew.     Some  of  these  mushrooms  are 


Under  Side  of  Bracket  Fungi. 
1.  Showing  the  Gills.  2.  Showing  Spores,  or  Tubes. 

very  bright-colored,  while  others  are  so  like  that  upon 
which  they  grow  and  feed  that  they  can  scarcely  be 
seen  a  little  distance  away. 


S5 


MUSHROOMS 


PUFFBALLS 

Children  like  puff  balls.  It  is  such  fun  to  squeeze 
them  between  the  fingers  and  watch  the  "smoke"  come 
out.  This  cannot  be  done  until  the  puffball  is  old  and 
dry.  When  young  this  fungus  is  grayish  or  brownish 
on  the  outside  and  white  within.  A  few  varieties  are 
dark  inside.  The  firm,  soft  flesh  of  the  inside  is  covered 
with  a  skin  or  rind  consisting  of  two  layers.  The  outer 
one  is  generally  somewhat  rough.  The  inner  coat  is 
thin  and  papery. 

Let  us  see  how  these  puffballs  grow.  The  myce- 
lium forms  a  network  of  white  threads.  Then  little 
buttons  are  seen  coming  out  on  these  white  threads. 
Like  other  mushrooms  they  grow  larger  and  larger,  but 
there  is  no  stem.  Neither  do  they  spread  open  and 
show  gills  or  tubes.  They  remain  wrapped  in  their 
light-colored  coats. 

Where  do  you  think  that  the  spores  grow?  If  you 
were  to  look  at  the  inside  of  a  puffball  with  a  micro- 
scope or  magnifying  glass,  you  would  find  it  full  of  little 
cells.  Within  these  are  dustlike  spores.  Often  there 
are  elastic  threads  among  the  spores.  These  help  to 
push  out  the  spores  when  they  are  fully  ripe. 

When  a  puffball  begins  to  grow  larger,  the  inside 
becomes  so  filled  with  moisture  that  water  may  be 
squeezed  out  of  it.     The  color  changes  from  white  to 

86 


PUFFBALLS 


yellow,  and  then  to  a  greenish  brown.     Later,  the  wet 

mass  becomes  dry  and  powdery.     The  outside  grows 

darker  as  the  puffball  dries.     The  spores  are  now  ripe 

and  the  skin  opens  by  a  small  hole  so  that  they  can 

escape.     Such   puffballs  are  often  seen  lying  on  the 

ground  or  clinging  to  old  stumps  or  dead  trunks  of  trees. 

When    the    boys 

and     girls     pick 

them   up   and 

squeeze   them  to 

see  the  " smoke," 

they    are    really 

helping  them   to 

scatter  their 

spores     so    they 

may    grow    into 

new  plants. 

There  are 
many  kinds  of 
puffball,  but  we 
will  talk  of  but 
two      of      them. 

The  first  and  largest  is  the  giant  puffball.  It  is  from 
eight  to  fifteen  inches  across.  The  skin  is  thin  and 
nearly  smooth — whitish  at  first,  but  yellowish  as  it 
grows  old.  It  is  found  in  grassy  places  during  August 
and  September. 

Before  matches  were  made,  the  dry,  spongy  inside 

87 


%£ 

j£ 

w  -   1 

m 

. 

Pear-Shaped  Puffballs. 


MUSHROOMS 

of  this  puffball  was  used  as  tinder  to  catch  the  sparks 
which  flew  from  the  flint  when  it  was  struck  for  fire. 
The  spore  dust  of  this  fungus  has  sometimes  been  used 
to  stop  the  flow  of  blood  from  a  wound. 

Another  variety  that  is  quite  common  is  the  pear- 
shaped  puffball.  These  are  found  everywhere  in  the 
world.  They  grow  on  old  timber  or  on  the  ground  in 
groups.  Those  that  you  see  in  the  picture  were  grow- 
ing on  the  ground  along  a  country  roadside.  The 
group  from  which  they  were  taken  was  about  two  feet 
in  extent.  When  they  were  picked  the  inside  was  white 
and  firm.  Now  they  have  turned  dark.  The  spores 
are  ripe  and  are  of  a  greenish  brown.  Some  of  them 
have  the  hole  in  the  skin,  and  a  little  pressure  will  scat- 
ter the  spores. ' 

All  of  the  puffballs  that  have  white  flesh  are  good  to 
eat,  as  long  as  the  flesh  continues  white.  If,  when  cut, 
the  knife  leaves  a  stain  of  yellow,  the  mushroom  is  too 
old  to  cook.  Puffballs  that  are  dark  inside  when  young 
are  not  thought  to  be  fit  for  food. 


THE  CORAL  FUNGI 

If  you  have  ever  seen  coral,  you  can  guess  why 
these  are  called  coral  fungi.  There  are  a  great  many 
beautiful  plants  among  them.  All  of  them  stand  up 
straight,  or  nearly  so.     Some  are  single,   others  are 

88 


THE  CORAL  FUNGI 


clustered ;  some  are  joined  by  their  bases,  and  others  are 
very  much  branched.  Among  the  different  colors  seen 
are  white,  yellow,  violet,  red,  and  brown.  Some  have 
red  at  the  tips  only. 

One  of  the  handsomest  of  them  is  the  yellow  one 
seen  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter.  It  grows  from 
four  to  six  inches  high.  There  is  a  stout  stem  which 
goes  down  deep 
into  the  ground. 
From  this  grow 
the  branches,  at 
first  stout  ones, 
and  then  slender 
and  longer  ones. 
These  end  in  many 
tips.  When  young 
the  branches  are 
red,  pink,  or 
orange.  As  the 
plant  grows  older 
the  color  fades  to  a  fight  yellowish  or  creamy 
buff.  The  spores  are  on  the  outside  and  probably 
give  the  fungus  its  color.  The  whole  plant  is 
very  brittle.  Therefore,  it  has  to  be  handled  with 
great  care. 

This  plant  grows  in  the  woods  among  the  dead 
leaves  and  decayed  logs.  The  dimness  of  the  forest  is 
lighted  up  by  its  bright-yellow  branches.      You  see 

89 


The  Elegant  Clavaria. 


MUSHROOMS 


Mother  Nature  is  fond  of  color  and  gives  us  touches  of 
it  everywhere. 

None  of  the  coral  fungi,  or  clavarias,  is  poisonous, 
but  some  of  them  are  so  bitter  or  tough  as  to  be  unfit 

for  food.  The  flesh  of  some 
is  very  tender.  They  often 
grow  in  such  large  and  dense 
clusters  as  to  make  one 
think  of  huge  Cauliflowers. 
The  time  to  get  them  is  in 
the  fall. 

There  is  another  form 
that  is  sometimes  called  the 
true  coral  fungus.  Its  color 
is  white.  In  shape  it  is 
very  much  like  the  yellow 
one  seen  in  the  picture.  It 
smells  like  the  common 
meadow  mushroom,  and  has 
a  pleasant  taste.  This  fun- 
gus is  much  used  in  Germany,  Italy,  and  Switzer- 
land, where  it  is  dried  for  winter  use. 

Here  is  a  picture  of  an  odd-looking  plant.  It  is 
called  the  Little  Tongue  Clavaria.  When  young  it  is 
yellow,  but  as  it  grows  older  it  turns  to  a  light,  pink- 
ish brown. 


Little  Tongue  Clavaria. 


90 


MOSSES 

It  seems  as  if  nature  filled  up  all  her  vacant  spaces 
with  tiny  flowerless  plants.  Where  nothing  else  can 
grow,  these  find  a  home  and  make  the  earth  more  beau- 
tiful. Of  all  these  plants  the  mosses  are  the  loveliest, 
but  they  are  not  showy.  Did  you  ever  notice  their 
delicate  coloring,  their  variety  of  form,  and  their  fine, 
lacelike  leaves?  The  careless  passer-by  sees  nothing  of 
their  real  beauty.  But  Ruskin,  who  loved  them,  said : 
"No  words  that  I  know  of  will  say  what  these  mosses 
are.  None  are  delicate  enough,  none  perfect  enough, 
none  rich  enough." 

Ferns  and  flowering  plants  require  soil  for  their 
roots,  but  mosses  thrive  where  there  is  but  little.  Some 
grow  upon  the  ground ;  but  many  like  best  the  rocks  or 
trunks  of  trees.  Others  grow  on  decayed  wood, 
stumps,  or  fallen  trees.  Ponds  and  small  streams,  too, 
have  their  share,  for  many  of  them  are  water  lovers. 
Indeed,  mosses  are  hardly  absent  from  any  place  except 
salt  water. 

In  the  arctic  regions  where  there  is  little  plant  life, 
they  carpet  the  ground,  giving  a  beautiful  greenness  to 
the  mountains  and  valleys.     On  the  hot  plains  of  Africa 

91 


MOSSES 

and  around  hot  springs  in  different  parts  of  the  world, 
they  flourish  and  continue  green  under  a  heat  that  is 
fatal  to  all  other  vegetation  except  lichens. 

They  love  best  the  moist  places,  but  do  not  refuse 
to  grow  where  the  soil  is  dry.  Tufts  of  them  may  be 
seen  here  and  there  on  the  sandy  desert. 

We  find  them  on  the  mountain  tops  amid  howling 
winds  and  driving  storms,  as  well  as  in  the  calm  and 
silent  woods  where  scarcely  a  breath  of  wind  can  stir 
their  leaves. 

There  is,  in  fact,  no  spot  on  earth  so  dry  or  wet,  so 
cold  or  hot,  so  stormy  or  so  quiet,  that  these  tiny  flow- 
erless  plants  do  not  find  a  dwelling  place.  They  are, 
however,  most  abundant  in  the  temperate  zone.  Here, 
too,  they  have  their  favorite  haunts.  At  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  in  rocky  dells,  with  streamlets  murmuring 
through  them,  and  the  trees  making  a  dim  twilight,  they 
form  their  soft,  green  carpets. 

In  mosses,  as  elsewhere  in  nature,  uses  and  beauties 
mingle  together.  To  them  is  given  the  task  of  prepar- 
ing the  way  for  higher  forms  of  plant  life.  Before  we 
can  have  the  wheat  for  our  daily  bread,  or  grass  for  our 
cattle,  or  cotton  and  linen  for  cloth,  mosses  and  lichens 
prepare  the  soil  for  these  useful  plants. 

Mosses  protect  the  roots  of  trees  and  plants  from 
heat  and  cold.  They  make  a  home  for  insects.  In 
mountainous  regions  the  thick  mats  of  moss  help  to 
soak  up  the  rain  and  prevent  floods  from  sudden  storms. 

92 


MOSSES 

By  holding  this  moisture  until  needed  they  aid  in  sup- 
plying the  stream  during  dry  weather. 

"Fringeless  or  fringed,  and  fringed  again, 

No  single  leaflet  formed  in  vain; 

What  wealth  of  heavenly  wisdom  lies 

Within  one  moss  cup's  mysteries! 

And  few  may  know  what  silvery  net 

Down  in  its  mimic  depths  is  set 

To  catch  the  rarest  dews  that  fall 

Upon  the  dry  and  barren  wall. 
Voices  from  the  silent  sod, 
Speaking  of  the  perfect  God." 

Man  has  found  many  uses  for  mosses.  We  shall  find 
that  these  plants  add  much  to  our  comfort  and  happi- 
ness. 

Some  mosses  ripen  their  spores  after  a  few  months 
and  die.  Others  live  from  year  to  year.  Among  a  few 
kinds,  the  lower  part  dies  and  the  tips  keep  on  growing 
until  there  is  a  mass  that  is  of  great  thickness. 

These  plants  may  be  studied  at  all  times  of  the  year. 
When  the  flowers  and  most  of  the  ferns  are  gone  these 
humble  companions  still  cheer  us  with  their  bright, 
fresh  looks. 


93 


MOSSES 


THE   PARTS   OF   THE   MOSS   PLANT 

We  often  hear  people  speak  of  moss  as  if  there  were 
but  one  kind.  Perhaps  you  will  be  surprised  to  learn 
that  over  ten  thousand  kinds  are  already  known. 

Some  of  them  are  slender  and  hairlike;  others  look 
like  small  trees;  a  number  of  them  resemble  feathers. 
All  of  them  have  roots,  stems,  and  leaves,  like  other 
plants. 

The  roots  are  very  delicate,  yet  they  take  as  firm  a 
hold  of  the  soil,  in  proportion  to  their  size,  as  many 
trees.  They  consist  of  small,  threadlike  fibers,  or  long, 
creeping,  underground  stems,  like  the  ferns  except  that 
they  are  smaller.  In  most  cases  these  serve  only  to 
attach  the  plant  to  its  growing  place,  for  every  part 
of  the  moss  takes  in  its  own  share  of  nourishment. 

Many  of  the  mosses  have  long  stems  that  branch  and 
branch  again.  Others  have  scarcely  any  stem.  They 
seem  to  send  up  from  the  root  a  mere  tuft  of  leaves. 
The  stems  are  solid  and  are  made  up  of  many  cells. 
They  have  no  woody  fibers  running  through  them  as  the 
ferns  and  flowering  plants  have,  so  they  cannot  stand 
up  erect.  These  stems  are  of  a  reddish  color,  or  of 
green  or  brown.  If  you  look  at  a  moss  stem  carefully 
you  will  find  that  the  leaves  grow  around  it  on  all  sides. 

The  leaves  of  mosses  are  the  part  that  we  notice  first. 
If  you  examine  them  with  a  microscope  you  will  see 

94 


THE  PARTS  OF  THE  MOSS  PLANT 

that  some  have  notched  edges,  while  others  are  plain; 
some  are  long  like  pine  needles,  others  are  oval  or 
round ;  some  have  a  nerve  or  vein  which  runs  through 
the  center. 

During  the  winter  and  spring  the  mosses  begin  their 


Different  Shapes  of  Moss  Leaves  (Much  Enlarged). 

work  of  spore-bearing.  A  large  number  of  hairlike 
stalks  rise  out  of  the  bed  of  green  leaves.  They  are 
from  one  to  three  inches  tall.     When  young  their  color 

95 


MOSSES 

is  pink,  but  later  they  turn  to  red,  orange,  or  brown. 
They  make  the  moss  look  like  a  green  pincushion  well 
filled  with  pins. 

After  a  time  small  sacs  appear  at  the  top  of  these 
hairlike  stalks.  At  first  they  are  but  little  thicker  than 
the  stalk.  Soon  they  grow  larger  and  take  different 
shapes.  Some  are  pear-shaped,  and  some  are  nearly 
round;  others  urn-shaped;  or  they  may  be  long  and 
slim.  A  few  are  like  cubes  or  cylinders.  One  form 
looks  much  like  a  closed  parasol;  another  resembles  a 
small  bug.  These  are  the  capsules  that  contain  the 
spores. 

Until  nearly  ripe  many  of  the  capsules  are  covered 
with  little  caps  having  high  peaks  and  long  laps.  These 
protect  them  from  the  sunshine  and  rain  until  they  are 
fully  grown.  Then  the  hood  or  cap  is  torn  from  its 
support  and  carried  to  the  top  of  the  capsule,  where  it 
stays  until  the  spores  are  nearly  ripe.  At  length  it 
falls  off  altogether.  Then  we  find  that  under  it  there 
is  a  little  lid  which  covers  the  mouth  of  the  capsule. 

When  the  lid  comes  off  there  is  found  around  the 
mouth  of  the  capsule  a  fringe  of  single  or  double  rows  of 
teeth.  These  open  in  sunshine  and  close  in  rainy 
weather.  If  you  were  to  examine  the  inside  of  the  cap- 
sule with  a  microscope,  you  would  find  that  the  spores, 
inclosed  in  little  bags  or  spore  cases,  grow  around  a 
column  or  pillar  in  the  center. 

When  the  spores  are  ripe,  it  is  a  curious  sight  to  see 

96 


THE  PARTS   OF   THE   MOSS   PLANT 

the  stalks  gradually  bending  over  and  turning  the  tops 
of  the  capsules  downward,  so  as  to  empty  out  the  spores. 


Forms  of  Capsules  (Enlarged). 
1,2,3,  6,  Show  Caps  that  Fall  off  when  the  Spores  Ripen: 

If  the  soil  on  which  the  spores  fall  is  moist  enough, 
they  will  begin  to  grow  in  a  few  days.     A  tiny,  thread- 

97 


MOSSES 

like  plant  appears  much  like  the  prothallium  of  the 
fern.  Soon  buds  of  young  moss  plants  appear.  On 
these  the  plants  grow  and  produce  spores  which  in 
their  turn  fall  to  the  ground  and  grow  into  new  plants. 
Roots  will  grow  from  any  part  of  a  moss  plant  that 
is  kept  dark  and  moist.  Often  roots  and  new  plants 
will  grow  from  a  leaf  that  is  broken  off.  Mosses  thus 
spread  very  rapidly. 


TREE  MOSSES 

Do  you  remember  that  we  said  there  were  mosses 
that  looked  like  small  trees?  The  picture  shows  you 
some  of  these.  See  what  long  roots  they  have.  Do  they 
not  look  like  the  slender  creeping  rootstocks  of  some 
ferns  ?  The  little  treelike  plants  come  up  from  this 
underground  stem  in  the  same  way  that  fern  fronds 
spring  up  from  their  rootstocks.  Because  this  moss  is 
so  much  like  little  trees  it  is  called  tree  moss. 

Notice  how  the  stems  bearing  the  capsules  come  out 
from  among  the  green  leaves  at  the  side  of  the  stem. 
There  are  quite  a  number  of  our  mosses  whose  capsules 
grow  in  this  way.  The  tree  mosses  are  among  the  larg- 
est of  these.  The  capsules  nearly  always  stand  up 
straight  at  the  ends  of  their  long  stems.  When  young 
the  capsules  are  green,  but  as  the  spores  ripen  they  turn 
brown.     The  beak  at  the  top  has  a  long  point.     When 

.    98 


PEAT   MOSS 

the  spores  are  fully  ripe,  this  beak  drops  off  and  allows 
the  spores  to  escape. 

The  tree  mosses  are  common  in  wet  woods.  They 
are  also  found  in  moist,  grassy  places,  but  they  do  not 
often  bear  fruit  when  growing  there.  Even  in  the 
woods  their  capsules  are  not  very  plenty.  Some  years 
we  have  looked  in  vain  for  plants  with  fruit.  Several 
patches  of  the  moss  were  found  on  which  there  were 
many  capsules. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  tree  mosses.  Most  of 
them  stand  up  straight,  like  those  in  the  picture.  One 
kind,  however,  creeps  on  the  ground.  It  rarely  looks 
like  a  tree.  This  form  is  very  plenty  in  the  swamps  of 
Long  Island. 

PEAT  MOSS 

In  some  countries  peat  is  almost  the  only  fuel  of  the 
poorer  people.  In  the  United  States  there  is  an  abun- 
dant supply  of  it.  But  we  have  so  much  fuel  that  is 
cheaper  and  better  that  little  peat  is  used. 

Peat  is  formed  of  peat  moss  which  grows  in  and  near 
water  in  swamps.  The  plants  grow  at  the  top  and  die 
below.  Sticks,  leaves,  and  other  substances  are  washed 
in  among  the  decaying  stems.  The  whole  mass,  being 
full  of  water,  decays  slowly,  packs  closely,  and  becomes 
a  hard,  dark-brown  or  black  substance  known  as  peat. 

The  life  of  this  moss  seems  to  be  endless.     The 

99 


MOSSES 


mosses  which  we  see  growing  in  a  bog  now  are  the  tips  of 
plants  which  began  life  perhaps  thousands  of  years  ago. 
These  have  formed  great  beds  of  peat  which  may  be 

from  fifteen  to  twenty 
feet  thick. 

The  peat  mosses  are 
among  our  largest  moss 
plants.  They  are  usually 
pale  green,  but  may  be 
a  dirty  white,  a  dark 
red,  a  pale  pink,  or  a 
yellow.  Those  seen  in 
the  picture  were  found 
among  the  White  Moun- 
tains in  New  Hampshire, 
where  there  was  an 
abundance  of  red  plants. 
Both  leaves  and  stems 
suck  up  the  water  like  a 
sponge,  so  that  the  whole 
mass  is  full  of  moisture. 
There  is  little  or  no 
root.  On  the  young 
plants  only  are  root  hairs  found.  The  plants  seem  to 
float  in  an  upright  position,  unattached.  As  they  grow 
closely  packed  together  they  help  each  other  to  stand 
erect.  There  are  many  branches.  The  shorter  ones  at 
the  top  are  often  much  crowded. 

100 


Peat  Moss. 


PEAT   MOSS 

The  leaves  have  no  midrib,  but  grow  around  the 
stem  in  a  spiral  manner.  They  are  fastened  to  it  by  a 
broad  base  and  taper  to  a  point.  You  can  see  this  in  the 
picture. 

The  stalks  on  which  the  capsules  are  borne  are  not 
like  those  of  other  mosses.  See  how  short  and  thick 
they  are.  The  branches  at  the  top  extend  upward  to 
form  them.  A  capsule  is  shaped  somewhat  like  a  vase. 
When  ripe  it  opens  by  a  circular  lid. 

Peat  mosses  are  of  more  value  than  any  others.  If 
you  were  to  visit  Ireland  you  would  find  great  tracts  of 
land  covered  with  peat  bogs.  Vast  amounts  of  fuel  are 
obtained  from  these.  In  the  Highlands  of  Scotland 
peat  forms  the  largest  part  of  the  fuel  of  the  inhabi- 
tants. 

This  is  also  the  principal  moss  north  of  the  arctic 
circle.  Great  quantities  of  it  grow  in  Lapland.  Here 
it  is  used  for  beds.  The  Laplanders  also  use  it  for  their 
little  babies  instead  of  clothes,  packing  their  cradles 
firmly  with  it.  In  seasons  of  scarcity  they  make  a 
wretched  kind  of  bread  out  of  this  plant.  Florists 
everywhere  use  this  moss  for  packing  flowers,  because  it 
holds  moisture  for  so  long  a  time. 

We  owe  our  coal  to  the  remains  of  ferns,  and  our 
peat  to  the  mosses — two  of  the  simplest  of  our  plants 
providing  fuel  in  large  quantities. 


101 


MOSSES 

FERN  MOSSES 

Everybody  admires  fern  mosses.     Their  branches 
grow  very  regularly,  just  as  the  parts  of  the  fern  frond 

do.  They  often  send  out 
branchlets  that  are  also  very 
regular. 

The  common  fern  moss 
grows  in  damp,  shady 
places,  spreading  over 
stones,  decayed  logs,  and 
waste  places  of  the  earth. 
It  reminds  us  of  Ruskin's 
words  when  he  says,  "  Crea- 
tion full  of  pity,  covering 
with  strange  and  tender 
honor  the  scarred  disgrace 
of  ruin — laying  quiet  finger 
on  the  trembling  stones,  to 
teach  them  rest." 

Another  common  fern 
moss  is  found  growing  on 
poor    soil    in    dry   places. 

Common  Fern  Moss.  mi  •     •  n     i  ix.         •        /• 

I  his  is  called  the  wiry  fern 
moss.    It  is  rather  stiff  and  grows  in  thick  mats. 

The  mountain  fern  moss  is  a  very  beautiful  kind. 
It  is  larger  than  the  others.     One  thing  about  its  growth 

102 


HAIR-CAP  MOSSES 

is  peculiar:  Every  year  each  of  the  main  shoots  of  the 
year  before  sends  out  a  single  fernlike  branch  from  the 
middle,  instead  of  branching  out  from  the  side  of 
the  shoot,  as   most  mosses  do. 

This  plant  grows  in  great 
quantities  in  cool,  moist  moun- 
tain woods,  and  on  stones  and 
old  logs.  If  you  study  the  pic- 
ture of  this  moss  you  will  probably 
know  the  plant  when  you  see  it 
in  the  wood. 

There  are  not  many  capsules 
in  proportion  to  the  number  of 
plants.  Sometimes,  however,  a 
patch  of  this  moss  may  have  an  abundance  of  fruit. 

All  fern  mosses  are  easily  known  from  their  fernlike 
forms.     They  are  found 

"Springing  in  valleys  green  and  low, 
And  on  the  mountain  high, 
And  in  the  silent  wilderness 
Where  no  man  passes  by." 

HAIR-CAP  MOSSES 


Mountain  Fern  Moss. 


The  hair-caps  are  our  largest  common  mosses. 
Some  grow  in  old  fields  and  meadows,  or  along  the  road- 
side, while  others  seem  to  want  the  shade  and  moisture 

103 


MOSSES 


of  the  woods.  Farmers  do  not  like  the  common  hair- 
cap  because  it  spreads  rapidly  and  takes  the  place  of 
grass  in  their  meadows. 

Near  our  home  was  an  old  field  where  this  moss 
grew  in  many  places.  We  have  often  seen  the  children 
gather  it  in  handfuls  and,  seating  them- 
selves upon  the  ground,  begin  to  make 
" rings"  of  it.  They  did  this  b}^  bending 
the  stems  and  fastening  them  together  at 
the  end  of  the  capsules.  These  were  then 
placed  upon  their  fingers  and  worn  home  in 
triumph. 

The  leaves  of  the  common  hair-cap  are 
very  thick  and  strong.  Notice  their  thin, 
clasping  base  and  notched  edges.  Their 
appearance  is  very  different  when  dry  from 
what  it  is  when  wet.  They  spread  out 
when  moist  and  are  fresh  and  green,  but 
a  lack  of  moisture  causes  the  leaves  to 
fold  up  against  the  stem.  This  is  to  pre- 
vent rapid  evaporation.  When  left  dry 
for  some  time  the  plant  turns  brown.  If  placed  in 
water  for  a  little  while,  it  will  regain  freshness  and 
color.  We  have  some  mosses  two  or  three  years  old 
that  can  be  made  nearly  as  beautiful  as  they  were  at 
first  by  letting  them  remain  in  water  for  a  short  time. 

The  reddish-brown  stems  are  from  two  to  eight 
inches  long.     At  the  end  of  each  is  a  capsule  of  the  same 

104 


Leaf  of  Hair- 
Cap  Moss. 


HYPNUM  MOSSES 

color.  This  capsule  is  almost  like  a  cube  in  shape  and 
has  a  lid  at  the  top  of  it.  The  lid  has  a  very  short  beak. 
The  grayish-brown  hairy  cap  that  entirely  covers  the 
capsule  gives  the  moss  its  name. 

The  capsule  ripens  in  June  or  early  July.  Then  the 
cap  falls  off,  the  lid  drops,  and  the  spores  escape. 

If  you  were  to  pick  some  of  the  hair-cap  moss  when 
ripe  and  pull  off  the  cap,  you  would  find  under  it  the 
beaked  capsule.  With  a  pin  or  a  penknife  remove  the 
lid  and  let  the  spores  fall  upon  a  piece  of  dark-colored 
paper.  They  are  quite  a  bright  yellow  and  may  be 
easily  seen  with  a  lens.  Without  the  lens  they  look  like 
a  mass  of  fine  yellow  powder. 

The  common  hair-cap  moss  is  found  in  all  parts  of 
North  America,  in  Europe,  and  in  Asia.  In  England  it 
is  sometimes  used  for  brooms.  The  Laplanders  use  it 
to  stuff  pillows  and  beds. 

HYPNUM  MOSSES 

Many  of  our  common  mosses  belong  to  the  Hypnum 
family.  Its  members  usually  grow  in  dense  mats  on 
the  ground,  stones,  bark  of  trees,  and  rotten  wood.  The 
most  of  them  are  slender  and  He  nearly  flat.  Some  are 
creeping,  with  branches  rising  up  from  the  mass  of  green. 
There  are  many  kinds  of  hypnums,  but  we  can  study 
only  a  few  of  the  common  ones. 

When  you  find  a  bright  yellow-green  moss  growing 

105 


MOSSES 


in  dense  cushions  you  may  make  up  your  mind  that 
you  have  some  kind  of  a  hypnum.  Examine  it  closely 
with  a  magnifying  glass.  If  it  is  quite  large  and  has 
bright-red  stems  showing  through  the  leaves,  it  is  a 

Schreber's  Hyp- 
num. This  is  a 
beautiful  moss 
which  grows  in 
abundance  in  pas- 
tures and  open 
woods.  We  have 
seen  almost  the 
entire  surface  of 
decaying  logs 
covered  with  its 
dense  green  cush- 
ions. If  you  gath- 
er some  of  this,  it 
will  keep  for  a 
long  time.  .When 
placed  in  water 
the  fresh,  green  look  will  return,  and  the  red  of  the 
stems  will  be  quite  bright  again. 

The  stems  of  this  moss  are  often  from  four  to  six 
inches  long  and  nearly  erect.  They  crowd  very  close 
together.  The  capsules  ripen  in  the  fall.  One  would 
think  that  such  large  plants  would  have  many  capsules, 
but  they  do  not. 

106 


Schreber's  Hypnum. 


HYPNUM   MOSSES 


A  hypnum  that  is  easily  recognized  is  the  plume 
moss.  Doesn't  it  look  like  a  feather?  This  is  common 
on  decayed  wood  and  stumps,  in 
cool,  moist  woods  in  New  Eng- 
land and  New  York.  It  is  most 
beautiful  in  the  mountain  forest, 
where  it  covers  the  decaying 
trunks  of  fallen  trees  with  its  deli- 
cate, light-green  plumes. 

The  pinnate  hypnum  is  com- 
mon in  lowlands.  It  grows  al- 
most entirely  on  rotten  wood,  in 
moist,  shady  places.  It  is  a 
darker  green  than  the  plume  moss 
and  lies  flat  upon  the  logs  in  close, 
dense  mats.  The  branching  does 
not  extend  to  the  tips,  as  in  the  plume  moss.  Notice 
this  in  the  pictures  of  the  two  mosses.     It  is  one  of  the 

ways  by  which  you  can 
know  the  pinnate  hyp- 
num. These  plants  have 
many  capsules.  They 
ripen  in  winter,  but  re- 
main in  good  condition 
for  a  long  time. 

Another  common  hyp- 
num is  the  shaggy  moss..  It  grows  on  shaded  banks 
that  are  neither  very  wet  nor  extremely  dry .    The  name 

107 


Plunie  Moss. 


Pinnate  Hypnum. 


MOSSES 


"shaggy"  describes  the  plant  well.  It  has  a  ragged 
look.  The  branches  are  irregular  and  the  leaves  stand 
out  straight  from  the  stem.     A  picture  of  this  does  not 

give  a  very  good  idea  of  the 
plant.  It  should  be  seen, 
and  when  once  recognized 
it  is  not  easily  forgotten. 
The  stems  are  elastic,  or 
' '  springy. ' '  For  this  reason 
they  are  sometimes  used 
for  packing  china  and  glass. 


^ 


Shaggy  Moss. 


Hooked  Moss. 


Hooked  mosses  also  belong  to  the  Hypnum  family. 
They  may  be  easily  known  because  the  leaves  at  the 
ends  of  the  branches  curve  so  as  to  look  like  little  hooks. 
These  mosses  grow  on  rocks,  earth,  and  rotten  wood,  in 

108 


WATER  MOSSES 

shaded  swamps,  and  along  shores  of  lakes  and  edges  of 
streams. 

Some  of  the  h}rpnums  grow  on  stones  in  the  beds  of 
brooks,  where  they  are  under  water  except  when  it  is 
very  low.  All  but  the  youngest  part  of  the  plant  is  very 
dark,  almost  black. 

None  of  the  hypnums  that  we  have  described, 
except  the  hooked  mosses,  has  a  midrib.  A  magnify- 
ing glass  will  show  you  that  these  have. 

The  members  of  this  family  are  so  much  alike  that 
it  is  not  easy  to  tell  them  apart.  If  you  learn  to  know 
the  ones  we  have  been  talking  about  it  is  enough  for  the 
present. 


WATER  MOSSES 

"  Mark  ye  the  ferns  that  clothe  the  dripping  rocks, 
The  crosier-headed  ferns  most  fresh  and  rare; 
And  velvet  mosses,  fostered  by  the  flow 
Gain  a  luxuriance  all  unknown  elsewhere." 

In  mountain  regions  there  are  many  small  streams 
which  wind  their  way  down  to  the  valleys.  Sometimes 
they  make  sudden  leaps  over  the  rocks,  as  if  in  a  hurry 
to  get  to  the  end  of  their  journey. 

The  picture  shows  you  one  of  these  mountain 
streams  just  at  the  place  where  it  is  taking^a  long 

109 


A  Mountain  Stream  at  the  Point  where  it  Takes  a  Plunge  Downward. 

110 


WATER  MOSSES 

plunge  downward.     This  stream  is  among  the  Catskill 
Mountains.     All  along  the  sides  of  the  rocks,  kept  moist 


The  Giant  Water  Moss. 


by  the  spray,  are  many  beautiful  ferns  and  mosses.   But 

the  mosses  that  we  are  going  to  talk  about  now  do  not 

grow  here. 

Ill 


MOSSES 


In  the  streams  above  these  falls  the  water  is  clear 
and  cool.  Here  grows  the  giant  water  moss.  This 
plant  is  fond  of  cool  streams  where  the  water  flows 
swiftly.  It  grows  on  stones  and  sticks  which  lie  in  the 
bed  of  the  brook,  or  on  the  roots  of  overhanging  trees. 

Has  it  not  beautiful  shades  of 
coloring?  It  looks  just  like  this 
in  the  water.  The  plants  are 
large,  the  branches  being  some- 
times a  foot  or  more  long.  This 
makes  it  very  easy  to  see.  .  It  has 
thick  three-cornered  stems  and 
branches.  These  spread  out  in 
the  water  and  float  along  with  the 
current.  This  plant  is  called  the 
giant  water  moss  because  it  is 
the  largest  of  them. 

There    is    one    strange   thing 
about  this  moss.     It  is  very  diffi- 
cult to  burn  it,  even  when  it  is 
completely  dry.    Because  of  this 
it  is  used  in  some  parts  of  Europe  for  lining  chim- 
neys.    It  prevents  the  woodwork  about  the  chimney 
from  taking  fire. 

You  see  here  another  kind  of  water  moss.  This  is 
much  more  common  than  the  first.  It,  too,  has  very 
beautiful  coloring,  and  a  soft,  silky  look.  Sometimes  it 
is  called  the  delicate  water  moss.     This  moss  grows  in 

112 


The  Common  Water  Moss. 


OTHER  COMMON  MOSSES 

the  same  locality  as  the  giant  water  moss.  Both  of 
them  are  found  in  streams  among  the  White  Mountains 
in  New  Hampshire. 

There  are  many  other  kinds  of  water  mosses,  but 
these  are  among  the  most  beautiful. 

Sometimes  pieces  of  moss  are  broken  off  and  carried 
along  by  the  current.  Perhaps  they  will  fasten  them- 
selves to  some  object  farther  down  the  stream.  There 
is  no  knowing  where  will  be  their  next  home.  They 
themselves  do  not  know. 

"Soft  green  moss  that  floats  along, 
Down  the  bright  stream 
With  current  so  strong, 

Tell  us,  oh,  tell  us, 
Where  now  do  you  go?" 

Soft  is  the  answer, 
"I  do  not  yet  know." 


OTHER  COMMON  MOSSES 

We  will  now  glance  at  a  few  more  of  the  common 
mosses.  One  is  an  odd  little  plant  called  the  Web'-e-ra. 
Its  leaves  are  quite  small  and  form  a  broad  mat  of  dark 
green.  Nestled  in  this  green  mass  are  the  capsules,  that 
look  like  little  bugs.     They  have  very  short  stems. 

113 


MOSSES 


Webera  Moss. 


The  Webera  grows  on  moist  banks  where  there  are  few 
tall  plants.     A  lichen  is  almost  always  found  with  it. 

Another  common  moss  is  the  Geor- 
gia, named  for  an  English  king.  It 
grows  on  rotten  stumps,  or  on  the 
banks  of  brooks.  On  the  western  end 
of  Long  Island  it  is  found  in  abun- 
dance. This  is  a  small  moss,  but  it  may  be  easily 
known  by  its  capsules.  At  the  end  of  each  there  are 
four  long  teeth.  These  may  be  seen  with  a  lens,  and 
if  one  has  good  eyes  it  is  not  diffi- 
cult to  see  them  without  a  glass. 
It  is  the  only  common  moss  plant 
with  this  number  of  teeth. 

Some  very  common  mosses 
in  the  woods  are  the  Di'-cra'- 
nums.  Of  these  there  are  a  num- 
ber of  kinds.  They  are  generally 
a  bright  yellow  green  and  grow 
in  wide,  thick  tufts  or  mats. 

The  broom  moss  belongs  to 
the  Dicranum  family.  Its  like- 
ness to  a  tiny  broom  gives  it  its 
name.  All  the  leaves  turn  to- 
ward one  side,  but  they  are  not  crisp  when  dry,  as  some 
of  the  Dicranums  are.  It  has  single  curved  capsules. 
These  are  long  and  slender.  This  plant  is  often  used  by 
florists  to  form  banks  of  green  in  their  show  windows. 

114 


Georgia  Moss. 


OTHER   COMMON    MOSSES 


The  wavy  Dicranum  is  the  largest  and  most  beautiful 
of  all  this  family.  It  grows  on  the  ground  and  on 
rocks.  Its  leaves  are  very  wavy,  and  have  a  beautiful 
silky  gloss.  Like  the  broom  moss  they  look  as  if  the 
wind  had  blown  them  all  in  one  direction.  The  curved 
capsules  grow  in  clusters  instead  of  singly,  as  the  broom 
mosses  do. 


Dicranums. 
1,  Broom  Moss;  2,  Wavy  Dicranum;  3,  Drummond's  Dicranum. 

Everybody  has  seen  the  white  moss.  It  grows  in 
tufts  looking  like  great  pincushions.  It  is  of  a  light 
grayish-green  or  whitish  color.  There  are  few  capsules, 
but  these  are  not  needed  to  tell  us  the  kind.  The  color 
and  manner  of  growth  show  this.  It  looks  much  like 
the  peat  mosses,  and  the  cushions  take  up  and  hold 
water  in  the  same  spongelike  way. 

115 


MOSSES 


White  Moss. 


A  plant  known  as  the  cord  moss  is  found  everywhere. 
When  the  spores  are  fully  ripened  the  moss  may  be  eas- 
ily recognized,  because  the  capsule, 
with  its  mouth  on  one  side,  has  such 
a  strange  look.  Before  it  is  ripe  the 
capsule  stands  up  erect.  Then  you 
may  not  know  it.  The  spores  ripen 
early  in  June. 

By  the  roadside  and  in  the  fields 
you  will  find  a  moss  that  looks  like 
this  one.  It  is  called  the  urn  moss 
because  of  the  shape  of  its  capsules. 
Sometimes  it  is  seen  on  the  earth  at  the  florist's.  By 
the  side  of  the  paths  in  the  parks  of  Greater  New  York 
it  grows  in  quantities.  You  can  get  it  in  the  best  con- 
dition in  the  month  of  May. 
This  moss  is  a'near  relation  to  the 
cord  moss,  though  it  looks  very 
unlike  it  in  most  ways. 

"  The   tiny   moss,   whose    silken 

verdure  clothes 
The  time-worn  rock,  and  whose 

bright  capsules  rise 
Like  fairy  urns,   on  stalks  of 

golden  sheen.' ' 

Here  is  a  Giant  Bryum.    Don't 
you  think  that  it  looks  a  little  like 

116 


Cord  Moss. 


OTHER   COMMON    MOSSES 


a  small  tree  moss?  There  is  an  underground  stem. 
The  stems  spring  from  this.  See  how  naked  they  look 
until  the  top  is  reached.  Here  the  leaves  form  a  ro- 
sette from  the  center  of  which  grows  the  cluster  of  cap- 
sules.    This  plant  is  quite  common,  and  forms  large 


The  Urn  Moss. 


Giant  Bryum  Moss. 


mats  on  rocks  or  old  rotten  logs,  or  at  the  foot  of  trees 
where  the  soil  is  rich. 

Many  of  our  mosses  are  like  some  twin  boys  whom 
we  once  knew.  They  were  so  much  alike  that  few  per- 
sons could  tell  one  from  the  other.  One  day  a  friend 
said  to  one  of  them,  "I  don't  see  how  you  two  boys  can 
tell  yourselves  apart."  He  replied  very  quickly,  "  Why, 
when  I  see  Johnny  coming  then  I  know  I'm  Jimmy." 
When  we  know  what  a  moss  is  not,  it  sometimes  helps 
us  to  find  out  what  it  is. 

117 


MOSSES 

Do  not  be  discouraged  if,  after  studying  about  these 
plants,  you  do  not  know  the  names  of  all  that  you  see. 
There  are  people  who  have  studied  them  for  years  who 
even  now  find  many  of  them  that  they  are  not  sure 
about. 

When  you  find  a  new  moss  notice  how  and  where  it 
grows;  study  the  size,  form,  and  growth  of  the  leaves; 
find  out  the  shape  of  the  capsule  and  when  it  ripens. 
Then  look  in  a  book  about  mosses  and  try  to  find  a 
plant  that  answers  this  description.  If  it  is  not  there 
look  for  some  one  who  can  tell  you  about  it.  If  you  are 
in  earnest  you  will  find  some  way  of  getting  what  you 
want.  But  if  you  do  not  get  all  the  names,  you  will 
certainly  get  something,  and  that  is,  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure  out  of  your  study.  One  of  our  great  English 
writers  has  said,  "He  that  enlarges  his  curiosity  after 
the  works  of  nature  multiplies  the  inlets  of  happiness.' ' 
Try  to  find  out  what  he  meant. 


118 


LICHENS 


Lichen  Attached  by  Black 
Fibers  on  the  Under  Sur- 
face. 


Lichens  !  What  are  they?  You  have  probably  seen 
them  again  and  again,  but  did  not  know  them.  Not  a 
rock  peeps  above  the  surface  of  the  soil  but  has  these 
small  plants  growing  upon  its 
top  and  sides.  Some,  sprinkled 
over  stones  and  withered  tufts 
of  moss,  look  like  white  and 
yellow  flowers;  others  are  like 
ink  stains  on  the  smooth  tops 
of  posts  and  fallen  trees;  on  the 
bark  of  trees  may  be  seen  many 
patches  of  bright  green,  while 

long  streaming  tufts  of  grayish  green  hang  from  the 
branches. 

"Some  are  reddish,  some  brown,  some  gray,  and  some 

black, 
And  they're  puckered,  edged,  buttoned  or  fringed, 

front  and  back; 
Some  are  lying  like  leather  close  under  your  feet, 
Some  waving  from  trees  in  the  forests  you'll  meet." 

Lichens  are  composed  of  two  parts.     One  gives  nour- 
ishment to  the  plant,  and  the  other  bears  the  spores. 

119 


LICHENS 


All  lichens  have  a  starting  point  of  growth.  From  this 
they  spread  on  all  sides  in  the  form  of  a  circle.  Some- 
times the  central  part  is  dead  while  the  edge  is  growing. 
This  part  of  the  plant  takes  the  nourishment  from  the 
air. 

If  you  examine  the  leafy  lichens,  you  will  see  curious 
round  disks  or  shields  of  a  different  color  from  the  rest 
of  the  plant.     The  spores  are  within  the  disks.     When 


Lichen  Attached  by  a  Single 
Knotlike  Root  in  the  Cen- 
ter. 


Lichens  Attached  Closely  to 
the  Rock,  or  the  Bark  of 
the  Tree. 


the  entire  shield  is  wet,  the  part  that  holds  the  spores 
becomes  bulged  out  above  and  causes  a  pressure  which 
finally  bursts  the  spore  cases.  Then  the  spores  are 
scattered.  If  you  examine  the  spore  cases  of  some 
lichens  with  a  magnifying  glass  you  will  be  surprised 
at  their  beauty.  They  are  generally  oval  in  shape. 
Some  are  bright  red  or  a  golden  yellow;  others  are  deep 
blue,  green,  olive,  or  brown. 

Many  lichens  never  produce  spores  in  this  way.    In- 

120 


LICHENS 

stead,  the  whole  surface  of  the  plant  is  covered  with 
powdery  grains  which  grow  into  new  plants  wherever 
they  are  carried  by  the  wind. 

"Seeds  to  our  eyes  invisible  can  find 
On  the  rude  rock  the  bed  that  fits  their  kind." 


On  some  lichens  there  are  spongy  tops  which  look 
like  tiny  trees.  Then  there  are  the  cup  mosses  that  lift 
up  their  spore  cases  above  the  circles  so  closely  fastened 
to    the    rocks.  _„ ^ ... .. 


\yj- 


■K' 


Written  Lichens. 


These  belong  to 
the  bushy  lichens. 

To  the  crusty 
lichens  belong 
those  plants  that 
look  like  crusty 
patches  on  walls, 
stones,  and  trees. 
One  of  this  group 
has  very  strange  fruit  vessels  which  look  like  Arabic 
and  Chinese  letters.  These  lichens  grow  on  the  bark 
of  trees  and  are  called  written  lichens. 

Lichens  spring  up  and  grow  rapidly  the  first  year 
or  two;  but  after  a  circular  frond  is  formed,  they  grow 
but  little  for  many  years.  Some  of  those  that  we  see  on 
trees  and  rocks  must  be  very  old.  Every  year  these 
plants  show  renewed  life  at  the  approach  of  winter. 

121 


LICHENS 

Then  they  seem  to  delight  in  moist  and  stormy  weather, 
and  put  forth  their  spores  so  that  we  may  have  new 
plants. 

Lichens  grow  nearly  everywhere  on  the  globe.  In 
the  Arctic  region  they  form  the  largest  part  of  the  plant 
life.     Beyond  their  limits  there  is  no  vegetation. 

"But  here,  above,  around,  below, 

On  mountain  or  in  glen, 
Nor  tree,  nor  shrub,  nor  plant,  nor  flower, 
Nor  aught  of  vegetative  power, 

The  weary  eye  may  ken. 
For  all  is  rocks  at  random  thrown, 
Black  waves,  bare  crags,  and  banks  of  stone; 
As  if  were  here  denied 

The  summer's  sun,  the  spring's  sweet  dew, 

That  clothe  with  many  a  varied  hue 
The  bleakest  mountain  side." 

In  some  countries  lichens  provide  food  for  man  and 
beast.  Several  kinds  are  used  for  dyes  tuffs.  Quite 
a  large  part  of  the  oxalic  acid  of  the  world  comes  from 
the  tiny  lichens.  They  are  also  employed  in  the  mak- 
ing of  perfumery  because  they  retain  odors  for  so  long 
a  time. 

There  are  between  two  and  three  thousand  lichens 
already  known  in  different  parts  of  the  world. 

122 


REINDEER  MOSS 


REINDEER  MOSS 


The  reindeer  is  the  wealth  of  the  inhabitants  of 
some  cold  countries.  It  patiently  carries  the  people 
from  place  to  place.  Its  milk  and  flesh  serve  for  food, 
its  skin  for  bedclothes,  and  its  tendons  for  bow  strings. 
These  useful  animals  live  entirely  upon  a  small  lichen 
which  is  found  in  large 
quantities  on  the  great 
plains  that  border  the  Arc- 
tic Ocean. 

.  This  lichen  is  called 
reindeer  moss.  In  the  tem- 
perate regions  it  grows  in 
small  tufts,  and  is  some- 
times found  on  the  sides 
and  tops  of  mountains,  cov- 
ering places  where  the  snow  lies  the  longest.  Its  dense 
tufts  are  white  as  new-fallen  snow.  As  you  may  see,  it 
resembles  some  forms  of  coral.  It  is  always  erect  and 
much  branched.  There  are  tiny  holes  where  the 
smaller  branches  join  the  larger  ones.  The  parts  of  the 
plants  which  grow  in  large  clumps  usually  mix  together 
and  form  one  mass.  This  lichen  is  two  inches  or  more 
in  height.  The  reindeer  find  it  by  scraping  with  their 
feet,  even  when  the  snow  is  deep. 

In  the  forests  of  Lapland  the  ground  is  often  car- 

123 


Reindeer  Moss. 


LICHENS 

peted  with  it  for  many  miles.  These  are  fine  pastures 
to  the  Laplander,  and  a  man  who  owns  a  tract  of  them 
is  thought  to  be  rich,  for  he  can  keep  great  herds  of 
reindeer. 

When  the  snow  is  frozen  so  hard  that  the  reindeer 
cannot  get  their  usual  food,  they  eat  another  curious 
lichen  called  rock  hair.  This  grows  upon  the  trunks 
and  branches  of  trees.  It  hangs  down  in  masses  and  in 
long  loops  or  garlands,  waving  in  the  wind.     When  the 

winter  is  severe,  the  Lap- 
landers cut  down  the  trees  so 
that  the  reindeer  can  feed 
upon  these  lichens. 

You  see  from   this   that 
these    little    lichens,    which 
Rock  Hair.  Ruskin   calls   "  humblest  of 

the  things  that  live/'  pro- 
vide food,  clothing,  and  means  of  transportation  for  a 
vast  number  of  people  in  the  cold  regions.  The  people 
live  upon  the  reindeer,  and  the  reindeer  upon  the  lichen. 

ICELAND  MOSS 

You  have  just  been  reading  about  lichens  that 
furnish  food  for  the  reindeer.  But  in  Iceland  there  is 
a  lichen  which  forms  an  important  article  of  food  for 
the  people. 

This  is  the  Iceland  moss.     It  is  found  in  all  the 

124 


<3 


ICELAND   MOSS 


northern  parts  of  the  world.  It  covers  the  ground 
where  it  grows,  and  is  from  one  and  one-half  to  four 
inches  high.  It  grows  largest  on  the  lava  near  the 
western  coast  of  Iceland.  Many  people  go  there  during 
the  summer  to  collect  it.  It  is  said  that  a  person  can 
gather  four  tons  of  it  in  a  week.  It  takes  three  years 
for  new  plants  to  grow 
where  the  old  ones  have 
been  taken  away. 

The  illustration  on 
this  page  shows  you  the 
shape  of  this  lichen.  It 
is  tough  and  leathery, 
but  somewhat  soft.  It 
has  a  very  bitter  taste. 
Where  it  is  used  for  food 
the  people  chop  it  in 
pieces  and  leave  it  in 
limewater  for  several 
days  to  remove  this 
bitterness.      It    is    then 

dried,  powdered,  and  mixed  with  flour  of  the  common 
knotgrass,  and  made  into  cakes.  These  are  eaten 
with  the  milk  of  the  reindeer.  The  poor  people  say, 
"A  bountiful  Providence  sends  us  bread  out  of  the 
very  stones." 

Iceland  moss  is  used  all  over  the  world.     In  some 
countries  it  is  an  article  of  diet  for  the  sick.     The  doctor 

125 


Iceland  Moss. 


LICHENS 

often  gives  it  to  a  patient  who  is  recovering  from  a 
severe  illness. 

The  powder  looks  very  much  like  starch,  and,  like 
it,  swells  in  boiling  water.  When  cooled  it  becomes 
a  fine,  jelly  like  substance  which  is  pleasant  to  the  taste, 
especially  when  sweetened  and  flavored. 


LICHENS  AS  DYESTUFFS 

Does  it  not  seem  strange  that  some  of  our  most 
beautiful  shades  of  red,  violet,  and  yellow  should  be 

obtained  from  the  simple  little 
lichens  that  cover  the  rocks? 

The  plants  that  grow  in  such 
places  contain  the  best  coloring 
matter. 

The  orchil  gives  a  beautiful 
purple  color.  A  man  of  Flor- 
ence, Italy,  claims  to  have  dis- 
covered in  the  sixteenth  century 

The  Orchil  (A  Bushv  Lichen).  .  J 

the  art  of  preparing  dye  from  the 
orchil.  In  a  short  time  he  made  a  large  fortune.  The 
secret  was  discovered,  and  the  manufacture  was  carried 
to  Holland,  where  quite  a  trade  in  this  lichen  is  still 
carried  on.  It  is  believed  by  some  that  the  use  of  the 
orchil  was  known  by  the  people  of  ancient  Greece. 
In  temperate  climates  the  orchil  is  found  in  small 

126 


LICHENS  AS  DYESTUFFS 


quantities  on  rocks  by  the  seaside.  In  warm  coun- 
tries it  grows  in  great  abundance.  It  looks  like  a 
very  small  shrub  without  any  leaves.  The  color  is 
a  whitish  or  blue  gray,  and  the  entire  plant  is  cov- 
ered with  a  mealy  powder,  or  with  scattered  warty 
spots.  The  men  who  get  it  ready  for  the  dyer  grind 
it  between  stones,  so  as  to  bruise  it  but  not  make  it 
into  a  powder. 

When  beaten  to  a  pulp  and  dried  in  little  cubes  about 
the  size  of  dice,  the  orchil  is 
called  litmus.  Paper  wet  with 
this  is  the  litmus  paper  used  in 
chemistry.  When  put  into  an 
acid,  like  vinegar,  this  paper  be- 
comes red.  Place  it  in  an  alkali 
(ammonia,  or  water  with  soda 
in  it)  and  it  turns  blue  again. 

Another  useful  dye  lichen  is  the  rock  moss,  or  cud- 
bear. It  is  found  in  Sweden  and  Sicily.  It  is  of  a  dirty 
gray  with  large,  irregular  shields  of  pale  flesh  color. 
When  the  plant  is  moistened  it  has  a  disagreeable  odor. 
The  dye  made  from  it  gives  any  tinge  of  purple  or 
crimson. 

The  common  yellow  wall  lichen  contains  yellow  and 
red  coloring  matter.  In  some  places  the  children  col- 
lect it  for  coloring  Easter  eggs. 

The  Scotch  tartans  of  the  Highland  clans  used  to  be 
dyed  with  a  common  gray  lichen  found  on  trees  and 

127 


The  Cudbear  Lichen. 


LICHENS 

walls.     Many  women  in  the  remote  parts  of  that  coun- 
try still  dye  with  this  plant. 

Without  doubt,  many  other  lichens  could  be  used  as 
dyestuffs.  The  field  is  open  to  all,  and  it  is  probable 
that,  before  many  years,  some  one  will  gain  a  knowledge 
of  the  uses  of  these  lichens  that  will  be  of  great  benefit. 


A  FEW  COMMON  LICHENS 

One  of  the  common  lichens  that  we  all  admire  is 
shown  in  the  picture.  It  grows  on  rocks  or  around  the 
roots  of  stumps.     There  is  a  filmy  mass  fastened  close 

to  the  growing  place. 
From  this  arise  many 
hollow  stalks.  The 
outside  of  these  stalks 
is  often  covered  with 
light  -  green  powdery 
grains.  The  edges  of 
the  little  cups  may  be 
whole  or  divided. 


Rock  Tripe. 


Sometimes  there  are  bright-red  fruit  vessels  on  their 
margins.  Crabbe,  an  English  poet,  calls  this  the  "cup 
moss  with  the  scarlet  tip." 

When  dry  the  stalks  are  quite  brittle  and  easily 
crumble  into  dust. 

This  plant  is  a  member  of  the  same  family  as  the 
reindeer  moss.     They  are  often  found  growing  together. 

128 


A  FEW  COMMON  LICHENS 


Probably  this  is  the  "red  cup  moss"  of  which  Mrs. 
Hemans  speaks  in  the  following  lines: 

"Oh!  green  is  the  turf  where  my  brothers  play 
Through  the  long,  bright  hours  of  the  summer  day; 
They  find  the  red  cup 

moss  where  they 

climb, 
And  they  chase  the  bee 

o'er  the  scented 

thyme." 


Qsfe*/ 


A  plant  found  every- 
where in  North  America 
is  the  common  dog  lichen. 
When  in  a  moist  growing 

state  it  is  of  a  brownish-green  color;  if  dried,  it  becomes  a 
ligh t  brown  or  ashy  tint.    The  leaves  are  much  wrinkled . 

Notice  the  reddish  nail- 
like fruit  vessels  that  grow 
out  from  the  edges  of  the 
leaves;  also  the  small  fi- 
bers given  off  from  the 
under  side.  These  catch 
into  the  soil  and  hold  the 
plant  in  place. 

The  name  "dog  lich- 
en "  was  given  it  because 

A  Lichen  of  the  Parmelia  Family.        of  its  Use  as  a  medicine. 

129 


LICHENS 


It  was  said  that  a  person  bitten  by  a  mad  dog  could 
be  cured  by  the  use  of  this  plant. 

A  black,  leatherlike  lichen  with  black  spots  scat- 


Beard  Moss. 
"  Here  are  old  trees,  tall  oaks  and  gnarled  pines, 
That  stream  with  gray-green  mosses." 

tered  over  its  surface  is  often  found  fastened  by  strong, 
short  fibers  to  rocks  on  the  mountains.  This  is  the 
rock  tripe.     In  the  arctic  region  it  covers  the  surface  of 

130 


A  FEW  COMMON  LICHENS 

every  rock  with  a  dark,  gloomy  growth.  These  are  bit- 
ter lichens,  yet  they  have  kept  alive  hunters  and  ex- 
plorers when  no  other  food  could  be  found. 

To  the  Parmelia  family  belong  some  of  our  most 
common  leafy  lichens.  They  are  sometimes  called  leaf 
lichens  or  Shield-edge  lichens.  The  common  yellow 
wall  moss  is  one  of  these  that  is  abundant.  It  grows 
almost  everywhere  on  rocks,  trees,  and  walls.  It  is 
often  seen  with  much  fruit  on  roadside  walls  and  fences*. 

A  lichen  sometimes  called  beard  moss,  is  found  in 
great  quantities  hanging  from  trees  in  the  northern 
part  of  North  America.  Longfellow  compares  trees 
covered  with  it  to  old  men  "with  beards  that  rest  on 
their  bosoms."  Another  form  is  found  along  the  coast 
of  California,  where  the  oak  trees  are  often  covered 
with  festoons  several  yards  long.  These  hanging 
lichens  are  usually  a  grayish  green  or  a  brownish  green 
in  color. 

We  cannot  go  into  the  woods  and  fields  without  see- 
ing lichens.  Let  us  keep  our  eyes  open  and  find  as  many 
different  kinds  as  we  can. 


131 


SEAWEEDS 

Who  of  us  does  not  love  the  sea? 

"On  the  surface,  foam  and  roar, 
Restless  heave  and  passionate  dash; 
Shingle  rattle  along  the  shore, 
Gathering  boom  and  thundering  crash, 

•  Under  the  surface  loveliest  forms, 
Feathery  fronds  with  crimson  curl, 
Treasures  too  deep  for  the  raid  of  storms, 
Delicate  coral  and  hidden  pearl." 

It  is  not  the  sea  that  we  are  going  to  talk  about,  but 
the  " loveliest  forms"  under  the  surface  that  are  tossed 
up  to  us  by  the  waves. 

"The  feathery  fronds"  are  not  all  "with  crimson 
curl."  There  are  the  bright-green  ones,  almost  the 
color  of  the  grass.  These  are  very  simple  in  form, 
being  among  the  lowest  of  all  plant  life.  They  are 
made  up  entirely  of  soft  cells,  some  in  rows  and  others 
in  layers.  New  plants  are  produced  by  the  division 
of  these  cells.  One  plant  breaks  up  and  makes  two 
or  more  plants. 

132 


o 

-a 
H 


133 


SEAWEEDS 

There  are  also  olive  or  brown  seaweeds.  Among 
them  are  a  number  which  have  stem  and  leaf  forms. 
Many  of  them  have  spores  from  which  new  plants  grow. 
Some  of  these  seaweeds  are  quite  small;  others  grow 
to  be  several  hundred  feet  in  length. 

Last  and  most  beautiful  are  the  red  seaweeds,  in 
color  from  a  dainty  pink  to  a  deep  purple.  They  are 
not  so  large  nor  so  leaflike  in  appearance  as  the  brown 
ones.  They  grow  in  deeper  water,  but  are  often 
washed  ashore.  Many  of  them  are  beautiful  feather- 
like plants.  Some,  called  corallines,  are  covered  with 
lime. 

Among  seaweeds  the  plant  is  called  a  frond.  A 
disk  or  conelike  expansion  at  the  base  of  the  frond 
takes  the  place  of  the  root  found  in  flowering  plants. 
This  is  a  holdfast  by  which  the  frond  fastens  itself  to 
any  material  under  the  water.  Seaweeds  that  grow 
on  sandy  shores  or  on  corals  have  holdfasts  that 
branch  like  fibrous  roots.  Holdfasts  do  not  take  in 
nourishment  for  the  plant,  as  roots  do.  Seaweeds  get 
their  nourishment  from  the  water  around  them. 

Some  sea  plants  live  but  a  year;  others  have  a 
long  life.  Seaweeds  vary  much  in  different  seasons. 
If  you  live  near  the  ocean,  try  to  get  some  each  sea- 
son and  notice  the  differences.  Those  which  form 
spores  throw  them  off  into  the  water.  Here  they 
sink  or  are  washed  to  some  place  where  they  soon 
begin  to  grow. 

134 


ULVA 

Seaweeds  give  homes  and  food  to  millions  of  living 
creatures.  Iodine,  potash,  and  other  medicines  are 
made  from  them.  Various  kinds  of  food  are  obtained 
from  different  species.  Farmers  along  the  coast  every- 
where use  them  to  make  the  soil  better.  So  you  see 
that  seaweeds  have  uses  as  well  as  beauties. 


ULVA 

You  may  often  find  along  the 
looks  like  the  one  in  the  picture, 
times  it  is  full  of  holes.     Then 
you  may  know  that  it  is  an 
old  plant,  or  that  a  snail  found 
it  before  you  did. 

The  largest  bright-green 
plants  in  all  seas  belong  to  this 
family.  Its  brilliant  green  is 
darker  when  the  plant  grows 
in  deep  water.  Two  species 
of  this  seaweed  are  found  on 
the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts. 
One  is  called  the  widest  ulva 
because  it  is  the  largest  of  any 
of  these  plants.  The  other  looks 
somewhat  like  a  lettuce  leaf, 
and  is  known  as  sea  lettuce. 

The  frond  of  the  sea  lettuce 

135 


beach  a  plant  which 
It  is  an  ulva.     Some- 


An  Ulva.     Notice  the  Hold- 
fast at  the  Tip. 


SEAWEEDS 

is  paler  and  thinner  than  that  of  the  widest  ulva. 
When  young  the  sea  lettuce  is  said  to  form  an  in- 
flated bag,  somewhat  like  a  small  toy  balloon.  Later, 
this  splits  along  the  side  and  floats  out,  making  a  thin 
leaf  of  but  one  layer  of  cells.  This  plant  is  not  quite 
so  common  as  the  larger  one. 

The  ulva  is  one  of  the  seaweeds  that  lives  but  a 
year.  It  is  often  found  on  the  beach  in  the  winter, 
but  it  is  most  abundant  during  the  spring  and  summer 
months. 

FUCUS,   OR   ROCKWEED 

The  rockweeds  are  said  to  make  up  about  one-half 
of  our  seaweeds.  They  are  of  different  kinds.  Three 
are  found  on  our  Atlantic  coast,  and  one  is  common 
on  the  Pacific  coast. 

The  plants  are  large,  tough,  and  leathery.  When 
fresh,  they  have  a  distinct  olive-green  color,  but  they 
become  almost  black  when  dry.  They  grow  in  thick 
bunches,  attached  to  the  rocks  by  cone-shaped  disks 
or  holdfasts.  When  the  tide  goes  out  they  hang  from 
the  rocks  like  long  fringe.  When  it  rises  again,  they 
float  and  sway  in  the  water  like  huge  bouquets.  Some- 
times the  spore  cases  are  scattered  over  the  entire 
frond.  In  other  plants  they  are  found  at  the  ends 
of  the  branches. 

The  rockweed  that  is  the  most  common  is  called 

136 


FUCUS  OR  ROCKWEED 


the  fucus  vesiculosus,  because  of  its  little  bladders 
or  air  vessels.  These  are  oval  and  are  imbedded  in  the 
frond  each  side  of  the  midrib.  There  are  from  one 
to  several  pairs  in  each 
frond. 

You  can  find  branches 
with  spores  at  the  sea- 
shore in  winter  or  in  early 
spring.  If  you  hold  the 
fronds  between  your  eye 
and  the  light  you  can  see 
the  yellow  fruit  vessels. 
Cut  through  the  end  of  a 
branch  and  you  will  find 
a  mass  of  hard  gelatine 
in  which  are  the  spore 
cases. 

Another  common 
rockweed  is  the  knotty 
fucus.  It  gets  this  name 
from  the  knots  or  swellings  which  the  air  vessels  make 
in  the  fronds.  There  is  a  very  narrow  frond  of  the 
same  width  throughout.  Its  branches  do  not  fork  as 
in  the  other  kinds,  but  it  puts  out  branches  of  different 
lengths  from  the  sides  of  the  main  stem.  With  these 
are  short  branchlets  whose  wider  ends  thicken  and 
bear  the  spore  cases. 

The  third  rockweed  found  on  the  Atlantic  coast 

137 


A   Rockweed.     The   Light  -  Colored 
Spots  are  Air  Cells. 


SEAWEEDS 

is  known  as  the  forked  fucus.  This  is  wider  and 
shorter  than  the  others.  It  has  no  air  bladders. 
This  plant  is  found  in  deeper  waters  than  are  the 
other  forms  of  fucus.  It  is  a  seaweed  seldom  seen  on 
the  coast  south  of  Boston. 

On  the  western  coast  of  North  America  there  is 
another  common  form  of  rockweed.  It  has  a  cylin- 
drical frond  about  as  big  around  as  a  small  wire  nail. 
It  forks  near  the  base.  Then  each  part  forks  farther 
and  farther  apart.  There  are  generally  six  or  seven 
forkings.  The  plant  grows  to  the  height  of  three  or 
four  inches.    There  are  no  air  vessels. 

If  you  were  to  visit  some  places  along  the  coast 
you  would  see  women  and  children  gathering  the 
fucus.  They  would  tell  you  that  they  were  getting 
"kelp"  for  the  garden.  You  might  also  see  in  some 
of  the  near-by  yards  how  they  used  the  "kelp." 

In  Scotland  and  Norway  where  it  is  found  the 
fucus  vesiculosus  is  eagerly  eaten  in  winter  by  the 
cattle. 

SARGASSUM,  OR  GULFWEED 

The  gulfweed  belongs  to  the  fucus  family.  It  is 
so  different  from  the  rockweed  that  it  seems  best  to 
place  it  in  a  chapter  by  itself.  It  is  also  called  sar- 
gassum,  which  is  the  Spanish  for  sea  lentils. 

As  you  may  see  in  the  picture,  it  has  a  stem  and 

138 


SARGASSUM,  OK  GULFWEED 


leaves,  and  looks  very  much  like  some  of  the  higher 
forms  of  plants.  The  stem  is  round  and  grows  from 
one  to  three  feet  in  length.  The  branches  are  alter- 
nate. The  leaves  are  long  and  narrow  with  a  midrib 
and  toothed  edges.  They 
grow  out  from  the  stem  on 
short  stalks.  All  over 
their  surface  may  be  seen 
tiny  dark  spots.  You  can- 
not see  these  in  the  j}ic- 
ture,  but  they  may  be 
found  on  a  large  plant. 
On  this  smaller  one  they 
are  quite  distinct  when 
seen  with  a  magnifying 
glass. 

Notice  the  little  round 
balls  all  over  the  plant. 
They  look  like  little  ber- 
ries on  stems.  These  are 
the  air  vessels.  Do  you 
remember  where  we  found 
them  in  the  rockweeds? 

There  are  many  twiglike  forms  that  come  out  where 
the  leaf  stems  do.  These  are  the  fruit  vessels.  Within 
them  are  the  spore  cases  with  their  dustlike  spores. 

The  plant  which  is  shown  in  the  picture  was  found 
at  Cape  Cod.     It  grows  upon  small  stones  and  pebbles 

139 


Sargassum,  or  Gulf  weed. 


SEAWEEDS 

along  the  coast,  just  below  low-tide  marks.  In  Long 
Island  sound  it  is  quite  common. 

There  is  another  form  of  sargassum  which  you  will 
like  to  know  about.  Great  banks  or  floating  mead- 
ows of  it  are  out  in  the  midst  of  the  Atlantic  ocean. 
These  are  called  the  sargasso  sea,  on  account  of  the 
floating  plants  which  form  it. 

This  place  was  first  reported  bj'  Columbus.  His 
sailors  were  frightened  at  the  strange  appearance  and 
wanted  to  turn  back.  They  thought  the  vessel  would 
strike  against  the  rocks.  After  sailing- for  fifteen  da}rs 
they  came  into  clear  water.  Since  that  time  the  Sar- 
gasso sea  has  interested  all  sailors.  Such  an  extent  of 
plants  of  one  kind  is  not  known  elsewhere. 

Many  animals  live  among  this  mass  of  seaweed. 
Numerous  air  vessels  make  the  plants  light  enough  to 
bear  their  weight. 

Often  the  gulfweed  surrounds  a  ship  and  hinders 
its  progress,  and  then  again,  hours  may  pass  without 
a  sight  of  the  plant. 

This  seaweed  is  found  attached  to  the  rocks  on  the 
coast  of  Florida  and  in  the  West  Indies.  Plants  are 
sometimes  carried  by  the  current  northward  and  are 
found  washed  ashore.  Perhaps  this  is  the  seaweed 
that  our  poet  Longfellow  had  in  mind  when  he  wrote 
the  following  lines : 


140 


EDIBLE  SEAWEEDS 

"  When  descends  on  the  Atlantic 

The  gigantic 
Storm  wind  of  the  equinox, 
Landward  in  his  wrath  he  scourges 

The  toiling  surges, 
Laden  with  seaweed  from  the  rocks. 

From  Bermuda's  reefs,  from  edges 

Of  sunken  ledges 
In  some  far-off,  bright  Azore ; 
From  Bahama  and  the  dashing, 

Silver-flashing 
Surges  of  San  Salvador. 

Ever  drifting,  drifting,  drifting 

On  the  shifting 
Currents  of  the  restless  main; 
Till  in  sheltered  coves,  and  reaches 

Of  sandy  beaches, 
All  have  found  repose  again." 


EDIBLE  SEAWEEDS 

There  are  a  number  of  seaweeds  that  are  used  for 
food.  One  of  these  is  the  carrageen  or  Irish  moss.  Its 
extensive  use  by  the  peasants  of  the  coast  of  Ireland 
gave  it  this  name.     It  is  collected  along  the  eastern 

141 


SEAWEEDS 


coast  of  the  United  States.  After  being  dried  and 
bleached  in  the  sun,  it  is  taken  to  the  grocer.  He 
sells  it  to  his  customers  to  make  into  blanc  mange  and 
puddings. 

The  frond  begins  with  a  flattened  stem.     When 
about  an  inch  high,  this  stem  divides  and  subdivides 

a  great  many  times. 
The  frond  is  gener- 
ally the  shape  of 
a  fan.  It  is  thick, 
tough,  and  leath- 
ery, and  grows  from 
two  inches  to  ten 
inches  in  length. 

The  size  and 
color  of  the  plant 
depend  much  upon 
where  it  grows.  In 
shallow  tide-pools 
it  is  small  and  pale ; 
under  the  shelter  of  rocks  in  deep  water  it  grows 
in  dense  masses,  and  is  a  dark  purplish-red  or  a 
reddish  green.  The  very  dark  shades  have  changing 
rainbow  colors  when  seen  through  the  water  with  the 
sun  shining  upon  it.  They  turn  quite  dark  when  dry. 
Another  seaweed  that  is  used  for  food  is  known  as 
dulse.  In  Norway  and  Sweden  this  is  eaten  by  the 
sheep  and  goats.     Among  the  peasants  of  the  British 

142 


Carrageen,  or  Irish  Moss. 


EDIBLE   SEAWEEDS 

Isles  it  is  a  common  article  of  food.  In  the  United 
States,  it  is  found  on  the  New  England  and  the  Cali- 
fornia coasts. 

The  color  of  the  dulse  is  a  purplish  red.     It  gen- 


The  Dulse: 

erally  grows  upon  the  rocks,  but  it  is  sometimes  found 
upon  the  fucus  and  other  seaweeds. 

A  third  edible  seaweed  is  the  laver.  This  is  com- 
mon everywhere.  It  is  known  by  its  dark-purplish 
frond.  This  is  thin  and  somewhat  elastic.  It  shines 
like  satin,  especially  when  in  the  water. 

143 


SEAWEEDS 


The  laver  is  much  used  in  Great  Britain  as  an  arti- 
cle of  food  for  a  relish  with  roast  meat.     The  Chinese 

use  it  for  making  soup. 
It  is  an  annual — that  is, 
it  lives  but  one  year. 


GIANT  SEAWEEDS 

The  largest  of  all 
known  plants  is  a  sea- 
weed. This  seems  strange 
when  we  think  of  all  the 
great  plants  and  trees  that 
are  found  growing  on  the 
land.  It  is  a  queer-look- 
ing plant,  too.  Let  us 
see  how  it  grows.  There 
is  a  thin  naked  stem  from 
700  to  1,500  feet  long.  It 
is  only  about  one-fourth 
of  an  inch  thick.  At  the 
end  of  this  stem  is  a  fern-like  leaf  that  is  about  fifty 
feet  in  length.  Where  it  joins  the  stem  each  leaflet 
expands  into  an  air  vessel  as  large  as  an  egg.  These 
air  vessels  hold  up  the  great  frond  which  floats  on  the 
top  of  the  water.  This  plant  is  found  on  the  Pacific 
coast  of  North  America. 

144 


Porphyra,  or  Laver. 


SEA  TANGLE      ■ 

There  is  another  order  of  brown  seaweed  which 
grows  to  be  very  large.  Belonging  to  this  order  are 
the  oarweeds,  tangle,  and  sea  colander. 

The  oarweeds  have  stout,  woody  stems,  and  broad, 
tough,  glossy  leaves  of  a  dark  olive  green.  The  large 
fronds  float  like  streamers  in  the  water,  while  the 
fishes  swim  in  and  out  among  them. 

The  sea  colander  has  a  round  stem  which  becomes 
flattened  in  the  leaf,  and  extends  through  it  like  a 
midrib.  The  frond  has  wavy  edges.  Its  whole  sur- 
face is  covered  with  holes,  which  give  the  plant  its 
name. 

In  the  sea  tangle  the  leaf  is  narrow  and  ribbon- 
like. Its  length  is  from  three  to  thirty  feet.  It  grows 
at  the  end  of  a  solid  stem  that  is  from  three  inches  to 
four  feet  long.  The  edge  of  the  frond  is  much  waved. 
Through  the  center  there  is  a  band  of  sunken  spots. 
This  seaweed  is  found  on  the  northern  shore  of  both 
the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  oceans.  Perhaps  you 
will  like  to  read  a  poem  about  the  little  maid  and  her 
sea  tangle. 

SEA  TANGLE 

"'Go  show  to  earth  your  power!'  the  East  Wind  cried 
Commanding;  and  the  swift  submissive  seas, 
In  ordered  files,  like  liquid  mountains,  glide, 
Moving  from  sky  to  sky  with  godlike  ease. 

145 


SEAWEEDS 

Below  a  cliff,  where  mused  a  little  maid, 

It  struck.     Its  voice  in  thunder  cried,  'Beware.' 

But,  to  delight  her,  instantly  displayed 

A  fount  of  showering  diamonds  in  the  air. 

....  The  wave  passed  on; 
Touching  each  shore  with  silver-sandled  feet, 
But  tossed,  in  flying,  in  the  sun  which  shone, 
A  handful,  to  her  lap,  of  sea  blooms  sweet. 

More  delicate  than  forms  that  frost  doth  weave 
On  window  panes  are  Ocean's  filmy  brood; 
Remembering  the  awful  home  they  leave, 
Their  hues  to  that  dim  underworld  subdued. 

Fair  spread  on  pages  white,  I  saw  arrayed 

These  fairy  children  of  a  sire  so  stern; 

Their  beauty  charmed  me;  while  the  little  maid 

Spoke  of  her  new-found  love  with  cheeks  which  burn. 

'So  grand,  so  terrible,  how  could  I  know 
He  cared  for  these?'  she  faltered,  ■  darlings  dear! 
That  his  great  heart  could  nurture  them  and  glow 
With  such  a  love  beneath  such  looks  severe?' 

Like  God,  the  Ocean,  too,  the  least  can  heed, 
Yearn  in  a  moon-led  quest  to  farthest  shores, 
And  fondle  in  delight  its  smallest  weed, 
Yet  look  to  Him  it  mirrors  and  adores." 

J.  G.  Appleton. 
146 


- 


-"   3 


55 

60 


> 


147 


SEAWEEDS 


SEA  FLOWERS 

What  a  contrast  to  the  giant  seaweeds  are  some  of 
the  delicate  little  plants  found  along  our  coasts.  The 
soft,  silky  tufts  of  the  cal-li-tham'-ni-on  are  of  cobweb 
fineness.  Their  brilliant  red  color  with  the  darker  dots 
along  the  branches  make  them  look  like  flowers. 

"O  call  us  not  weeds,  but  flowers  of  the  sea, 
For  lovely  and  bright  and  gay  tinted  are  we; 
Our  blush  is  as  deep  as  the  rose  of  the  bowers, 
Then  call  us  not  weeds;  we  are  Ocean's  gay  flowers." 

The  feather  weed  is  another  delicate  red  sea  plant. 
This  grows  under  the  rockweed  or  fucus  on  the  sides 

of  the  cliff  near  low-water 
mark.  It  is  often  found 
in  summer  and  fall  among 
masses  of  seaweed  left  by 
the  waves.  The  fruit  ves- 
sels grow  at  the  tips  of 
the  feathery  branchlets. 

The  grasslike  seaweed 
which  you  see  on  this 
page  is  of  a  bright-green 

Callathamium.      (A  Beautiful  Red       '         ' 
with    Darker    Dots   along   the     everywhere.     The  fronds 
Branches.)  are  fine,  hair-like  tubes, 

148 


SEA  FLOWERS 


soft  and  densely  tufted.     The  name  is  a  long  one  and 

may  be  hard  to  remember.     It  is  an  en-ter-o-mor/-pha. 

This  plant  often  grows  on 

the  bottoms  of  ships.   The 

sailors  call  it  grass. 

Coarser   than   any  of 

these  is  the  pitcher  weed 

or    cer-a'-mi-um,    a    sea 

plant  that  may  be  easily 

known.     The  tops  of  the 

branches     bend     toward 

each  other.     At  the  last 

fork  they  are  so  curved  in 

and  hooked  that  they  look 

like    two    tiny   fishhooks 

turned    point    to    point. 

If  you  look  at  these  plants 

through  a  magnifying  glass  you  find  that  the  stems  and 

branches  are  striped  in  dark  and  light  colors.     Some 

of  the  small  forms  of  the  pitcher  weed  are  often  found 

growing     on     the     Irish     moss 
plants. 

Another  pretty  "flower  of  the 
sea"  is  the  chenille  weed.  Out 
of  the  water  it  looks  like  a  stringy 
mass  of  pink  or  purple  jelly. 
Floating  in  the  sea  there  is  a 
delicate  pink  piece  of  chenille. 
149 


Enteromorpha  (bright-green) . 


Pitcher  Weed  or  Ceramium. 


SEAWEEDS 

Much  of  this  plant  is  found  between  Fort  Hamilton  and 
Coney  Island.  It  extends  northward  to  Cape  Cod,  but 
no  farther. 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  seaweeds  that 
are  found  among  the  rocks  or  along  the  sand. 

"  Search  the  shore, 
Each  rock  pool  has  its  treasure,  every  tide 
Strews  on  the  yellow  sand  from  Ocean's  lap 
Weed  than  our  flowers  more  fair,  and  fitted  more 
To  beautify  the  album's  tasteful  page." 

Beautiful  ferns  with  fronds  so  green, 
In  woods  and  meadows  are  often  seen; 
Beautiful  mushrooms  in  colors  bright, 
Hiding  their  spores  from  the  strong  sunlight. 
Beautiful  mosses  with  tiny  leaves 
Cover  the  rocks  and  the  fallen  trees. 
Beautiful  lichens  in  gray  and  brown 
Remain  with  us  when  the  snow  falls  down. 
Beautiful  seaweeds  out  of  the  sea 
Are  cast  on  the  sand  for  you  and  me. 
Beautiful  plants  are  these,  large  and  small; 
God  has  made  them  for  us  all. 


150 


Unwerslty  of  CaWornto       clUTY 
SOUTHERN  REG«O^ALUBBA«CA90024.1388 

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